Consultant Project Manager, Skell Valley Project

Evans & James were appointed by the National Trust as Consultant Project Manager to support bringing the delivery phase of the Skell Valley Project to a conclusion.

The project focused on a 12-mile catchment of the Skell Valley from Dallowgill Moor, through the Nidderdale National Landscape, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World Heritage Site and into the city of Ripon. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project was co-led by the National Trust and Nidderdale National Landscape, and delivered in partnership with sixteen further organisations and community groups.

A map of the geographic extents of the Skell Valley Project
A map of the geographic extents of the Skell Valley Project

The project was initially developed to look at ways of addressing the significant threat of flooding to the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal World Heritage Site, and as the project developed the aims of the project were broadened to address wider challenges around climate change, the decline in nature, neglected heritage and unequal access to the outdoors. This culminated in the delivery of fifteen projects, each falling within one of the following themes:

  • Landscape is resilient
  • Nature thrives
  • People are empowered
  • Heritage is celebrated

The project was awarded £1.4 million by the National Lottery Heritage Fund towards a total delivery phase budget of £2.5m with delivery commencing in 2020 and the project ending in June 2025.

Evans & James were appointed in January 2025 to provide assistance to fill resource gaps in the project as a Consultant Project Manager, and we provided the following services over the course of our six-month involvement:

  • Development of Costed Management and Maintenance Plan
  • Leading Legacy planning workshops
  • Development of ten-year Legacy Plan
  • Authorship of procurement reports
  • Provision of Project Management support for two days per week over a six-month period to ensure compliance with approved purposes
  • Sign-off of the Project Completion report and associated documents
  • Completion of National Trust Project Management Framework Documents; Handover Document and End of Project Review

Further information about the project can be found on the National Trust Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal website. If you are interested in our Consultancy Project Management services, you can find out more information here.