IT’S the multi-million-pound project that is being hailed as the start of a new era for a precious part of the Hampshire countryside.

The New Forest National Park Authority (NPA) has joined forces with other organisations in an attempt to improve the landscape and some of the area’s historic buildings.

The five-year scheme will focus on privately-owned land outside the area run by the Forestry Commission.

NPA bosses say it will result in improvements to the way various parts of the landscape are managed, including trees, hedges and footpaths.

Hedgerows and other traditional boundary features will be restored and enhanced to create “habitat corridors” that improve the character of the landscape.

Restoration work will also be carried out at the historic Verderers’ Hall in Lyndhurst. The ancient building hosts the monthly Court of Verderers, which gives members of the public an opportunity to raise concerns about the way the Forest is being run.

The Verderers run the commoning system, which gives villagers the right to let their animals roam the landscape.

A mentoring scheme for young and new commoners will be established, together with a training programme for farmers and other landowners in the Forest.

The project also aims to reduce the damage caused by invasive non-native plants, improve Sites of Importance for Nature Conversation and identify rights of way of historic importance.

Those involved hope it will inspire Forest residents to “cherish” the area in which they live and work.

The Heritage Lottery Fund has given the project a grant of £2.8 million. Match funding from the NPA’s partners, plus cash from other sources, means a total of £4.4 million is available to spend on the area.

Alison Barnes, the NPA’s chief executive, was among those who launched the scheme near Linwood. 

Hailing it as the start of a new era she said the work would result in improvements to sites outside the Government-owned land known as the Crown Lands.

“It’s a major opportunity to focus on these areas and look at how we can keep the Forest resilient for the future,” she said.

NPA chairman Oliver Crosthwaite-Eyre added: “It’s heartening to see once again so many local organisations joining forces to benefit the Forest “By working together and each contributing our own experience we can benefit the National Park much more than if we were working alone.”