Border Farms Ltd

What is it?

A large-scale, multi-farm (>3000 ha) land management project focused on reducing negative impacts of intensive broiler farming. Adding water storage, carbon sequestration, and habitat creation through interventions like woodland, wetlands, and peat restoration.

Border Farms Ltd is a large-scale collaborative land management and environmental resilience programme covering more than 3,000 hectares of farmland.

The project focuses on reducing the environmental impacts associated with intensive agricultural systems while introducing large-scale interventions that improve water resilience, carbon sequestration and biodiversity recovery.

The programme combines natural infrastructure with productive farming to support long-term landscape resilience and environmental performance.

Why is this needed? / Why are we doing this?

Agricultural landscapes face increasing pressure from climate change, nutrient runoff, water management challenges and biodiversity decline. There is growing demand for farming systems that can remain productive while delivering wider environmental benefits.

Border Farms Ltd has been developed to demonstrate how landscape-scale interventions can reduce environmental pressures from intensive farming while creating new investment opportunities linked to nature recovery and resilience.

The project also supports regional priorities around water management, nutrient neutrality and sustainable food production.

What is it going to deliver?

The programme will deliver a range of interventions across water, carbon, biodiversity and renewable energy infrastructure, including:

Key delivery areas include:

Woodland and habitat creation
Peatland and soil restoration
On-farm water storage
Natural flood management interventions
Hedgerow restoration and herbal lays
Nutrient neutrality measures including buffer strips
Reduced agricultural runoff
Biodiversity Net Gain habitat creation
Carbon sequestration opportunities

Renewable energy infrastructure including anaerobic digestion and green hydrogen opportunities

The project has been designed as a scalable, multi-farm environmental resilience programme capable of supporting future investment markets across carbon, biodiversity and water services.

Intervention:

Woodland
Peatland
Soil

On Farm Water Storage
Slow the Flow Measures

Habitat Creation
Hedgerows / Herbal Lays

Reducing Agricultural Run Off
Buffer Strips

Anaerobic Digestion Infrastructure
Green Hydrogen

LNRS Priorities and Actions / LNP Goals:

This project aligns with the following Cheshire Local Nature Partnership goals:



Goal One

Increase contribution of nature-based solutions to address the ecological and climate crises.



Goal Three

Increase value of investment into nature.



Goal Four

Mainstream nature recovery to ensure Cheshire becomes nature positive by 2030.

Estimated Cost:
Programme investment values currently in development.

Project Location:
Cheshire and border farming landscapes.

Area Covered:
More than 3,000 hectares.

Local Authority Area:
Shropshire County Council/ Cheshire East Council

How Long is the Programme:
Long-term landscape management and resilience programme.

Lead Partner:
Specialist Farm Enterprises Ltd.

Project Partners:
Farming businesses, environmental delivery partners, infrastructure stakeholders and resilience buyers.

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