Investment from Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
The goal of BNG is to ensure that any development has a measurably positive impact on biodiversity. In other words, it should result in more or better-quality natural habitat than what was there before the development occurred.
The government reintroduced the Environment Bill as one of the measures to deliver on the aim in its 25 Year Environment Plan to “leave the environment in a better state than we found it”. The Bill has a wide scope but one of the most interesting potential opportunities for landowners is ‘biodiversity net gain’.
From 12 February 2024 under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 developers are now required to deliver a minimum BNG of 10%. This means that the development must contribute positively to biodiversity, creating habitats that benefit wildlife and ecosystems.
Councils across Cheshire have required off-site mitigation to ensure no net loss of biodiversity for many years, including investment in off-site habitats, but this new legislation significantly increases the amount that needs to be invested both in on and off-site habitats to provide real benefits to the vibrancy and quality of our ecological network.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust has provided significant BNG units at Saltersford Farm, Holmes Chapel, returning intensively managed, low biodiversity value agricultural land to nature using a blend of public and private finance.
19.84 ha, which had been predominantly under maize for at least 10 years was is now fully restored to a mosaic of hay meadow (using locally sourced green hay), ponds, woodland and scrub.
A blend of public and private finance from 15 different sources was complemented by Biodiversity Net Gain agreements.
This habitat creation has reduced pollution in the River Dane and created space for great crested newts, farmland birds and pollinators.
6.5 ha of lowland mixed deciduous woodland has been used to trial a new technological innovation where native mycorrhizal fungi are applied to soils to accelerate tree growth. Over 80 volunteers have helped make this site a success.
This is a long-term project which will be closely monitored to see how and when wildlife returns over the coming decades. The full extent of the benefits to nature will not be known for many years. The site will be used to demonstrate how to restore intensively managed farmland to nature and how to attract and negotiate nature-based funding. Many lessons were learned during this journey, and CWT are happy to share these with others who are embarking on similar projects.
Funders included, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, CWT members, Appeal supporters, S106 funding for BNG units from Cheshire East Council, The Mersey Forest, Bidwells and Rhizocore.
Cheshire West and Cheshire Council have been working on similar set of habitat improvement and creation through S106 investment in biodiversity units over the last 2years, creating more than 20ha of woodland, specie rich meadows and new wetlands in both rural and urban locations. Many private landowners, working alongside all three Local Authorities are now working to secure similar opportunities for investment, to ensure many habitats can be restored and positively managed across Cheshire through investment from development in the county.
