Tolworth Court Farm is set to become one of London's leading nature reserves, thanks to over half a million pounds worth of funding.

The grants include a £238,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund along with £149,477 of additional support from the Mayor's Rewild London Fund and ZSL.

The council says these funds will help maximise biodiversity at the site and continue to make Tolworth Court Farm an even more valuable nature reserve for wildlife and local communities. 

Over the past two years, in partnership with Citizen Zoo and The Community Brain, the council has been planning to rewild the site.

The former is hosting a community rewilding day at the site this Wednesday 20 March.

Meanwhile, The Community Brain has been working over the past year on a heritage project all across the south of the borough: most recently with a song from musician Jack Harris commemorating the area's industrial heritage.

This has included comprehensive ecological surveys, community consultations and investigation work to understand what conservation measures can be implemented.

Kingston Council's Cllr Ian Manders has said the council is "delighted" with the new external support.

With the new funding, the project will now focus on restoring the historic wetland habitats and maximising the site's significance for wildlife.

As part of this, cows and pigs will be introduced to the site for "conservation grazing" which will promote ecological recovery.

The Community Brain and Citizen Zoo will continue engaging with the site to foster a greater sense of care about nature and wildlife across the borough.