PLANS to bring wildlife and people closer together at a North-East wetland reserve are set to go ahead after it was granted more than £65,000 of lottery cash.

A project to enhance visitor facilities at WWT Washington Wetland Centre’s saline lagoon has been awarded the money by the Heritage Lottery Fund, which gives grants to sustain and transform heritage.

The lagoon is an example of one of the country’s rarest habitats and its brackish nature, a mixture of fresh and sea water, provides the ideal salinity levels for a unique range of wetland species.

Centre manager Gill Pipes said: “Lagoon View hide will be an accessible, family-friendly space, blending into the landscape and overlooking the saline lagoon, the River Wear and our river reed bed, itself a regionally-rare habitat.

“It will have large panoramic windows, interpretation boards and bird books; as well as telescopes and binoculars for learning sessions.

“There will be improved access to the hide and surrounding meadows of high wildlife value and a composting toilet on the Eastern approach to the area.

Opened in 2013, the habitat has already strengthened the biodiversity of WWT Washington’s nature reserve by connecting it to the River Wear and wildlife highlights enjoyed by visitors so far have included wild Eurasian otter and roe deer, breeding oystercatcher and an array of flora.

Ivor Crowther, head of Heritage Lottery Fund North-East, said: “High quality green space, especially wetland, is at a premium across the North-East, and once completed this project will provide the perfect nature spot for thousands of visitors to relax in and enjoy every year.

“Wetlands are vital in providing appropriate habitats for a diverse range of species and it’s really important that we continue to fund projects like this that will engage local communities and provide people with new skills and training opportunities.”