Land deal aims to help developers comply with biodiversity planning law

Environment Bank, an off-site Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) provider, has reached an agreement with ecological consultancy RSK Biocensus to provide a home for protected species.

A collection of BNG Habitat Banks will be secured under a conservation covenant, so they can be added onto the national biodiversity gain sites register.

These will help developers comply with new Biodiversity Net Gain legislation which came into force in February this year. Offsite biodiversity gain is an enhancement to biodiversity carried out on a separate site to the building development.

One of these sites secured by the new conservation covenant is the Ripon Habitat Bank in North Yorkshire. The 40-acre Habitat Bank on the rural outskirts of Ripon is surrounded by hedgerows and woodland parcels.

York-based Environment Bank is transforming the landscape into a wildflower meadow rich in native flora and fauna.

Ecologists will be creating pockets of scrub which will help link up existing woodlands, both within the site and wider landscape.

In particular, Environment Bank is creating scrapes for curlew and lapwing which have gone through a significant national decline in recent decades. The enhancements will revitalise the soil, improving health and structure to create a more resilient landscape.

The site will provide a home for a range of wildlife, including protected species such as barn owl, otters, and great crested newts.

Environment Bank says it is generating a range of biodiversity units to provide an effective off-site BNG delivery solution for developers within the North Yorkshire Council local planning authority area or Pennine Dales Fringe national character area. The units are ready to purchase now, subject to availability.

This is one of 17 BNG sites from its national network of 27, created and managed by Environment Bank in partnership with landowners, which cover 1,100 acres in total.

Catherine Spitzer, CEO at Environment Bank, said: “Working alongside local farmers and landowners, Environment Bank has 27 Habitat Banks already live, generating over 4,000 Biodiversity Units.

“Securing legal agreements for these sites is the final step in unlocking the supply of Biodiversity Units.

“With developers required to ensure their projects benefit nature overall, this marks a significant milestone in the implementation phase.

“Now with supply unlocked, we can meet growing demand. This is a really positive step in helping this fledgling market thrive.”