Dominic Acland

Current and recent clients are:

• 2023-present: Devon County Council, supporting the development of the Devon Local Nature Recovery Strategy, coordinating the workstreams of mapping, farming and rivers.
• 2018-present: The Blackdown Hills National Landscape, developing and then helping deliver the Connecting the Culm (CtC) project and its 25-year Blueprint Plan. This has included developing a Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund project, Connecting Natural Capital for the Culm. I am currently supporting three separate CtC sub-projects: one funded by National Highways; one by Network Rail; and one by Innovate UK. The latter is building on the NEIRF project to develop a detailed Business Case for the 25-year CtC Blueprint, working with financial advisors Terranomics.
• 2025 – present: Devon Wildlife Trust, developing the Blended Finance Plan for the East Dartmoor Landscape Recovery Area.
• 2024-present: East Devon District Council’s Seaton Wetlands, developing the Wild About Seaton Masterplan and now developing a National Lottery Heritage Fund application to implement the plan.
• 2021-present: South Devon National Landscape, initially developing an application to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for the Life on the Edge project; secured £2.4m NLHF funding towards this £4m 5-year project; I supported the team through the Development Phase and I am currently providing an Evaluation role in the Delivery Phase.
• 2023- present: The River Dart Catchment Partnership, developing the Wild River Dart Action Plan.
• 2020-present: Blackdown Hills National Landscape and East Devon Catchment Partnership, developing the Triple-Axe Action Plan for the River Axe (Devon/Dorset); including coordinating and acting as lead author of the successful £700k Upper Axe Landscape Recovery Scheme application to DEFRA. Currently delivering a review of the Action Plan.

I have worked at the interface between people, nature and the built environment for 35 years.  From setting up a new Visitor Centre in a disused lighthouse in North Tyneside, through creating Cockington Country Park and Occombe Organic Farm in Torquay,  revitalising Berry Head National Nature Reserve, and helping found The Real Food Store and Café in the centre of Exeter, I have a broad experience of project development, local food, heritage and countryside management, social enterprise and charities, local government, business planning and fundraising.

• In 1999 I led the team that set up Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, a pioneering step at that time to transfer a whole countryside estate with staff and assets from a local authority into a charitable trust. For the next 14 years, as managing Director of the Trust, I advised and supported the Trustees in their role and led the staff team.
• In 2007 I played a central role in founding the English Riviera Geopark Organisation.
• In 2009 I was a Founder Director of Exeter Local Food Ltd, a community benefit society, which went on to establish the successful Real Food Store and Café in the centre of Exeter.
• As MD at Embercombe I helped a relatively new Board of Trustees develop better governance and tackle a challenging period of change.
• In 2015 I launched my consultancy business at the same time as working part-time on the Heritageability project for Living Options Devon.
• I was a Director of Wessex Community Assets from 2017 – 2022 and was its Chair from 2019-22.  WCA supports communities taking on ownership of valued local assets including housing, land, shops and workspaces.

My interests include working on our smallholding, hiking and camping in wild places, rock climbing, sea-kayaking, sailing and motor-biking.