Environment Bank establishing Devon Habitat Bank to raise BNG Units
Our Habitat Bank in Tiverton, mid-Devon, is currently being established to provide BNG Units to developers in the surrounding area. Whether they’re seeking to fulfill their requirement on an existing development or planning a new one, they’re taking action in response to the ending of the BNG transition period in November 2023.
Working in partnership with the farmer and landowner Toby Diggens, the 25-acre Habitat Bank, sited at Puddington Moor Farm, provides a rich mosaic of habitat that will fulfill a range of common development requirements in Devon. This includes meadows of species-rich grassland, wetlands, open scrub glades, and hedgerow and woodland enhancements.
Our ecologists are rebuilding the ecosystems at Puddington Moor farm to provide an abundance of benefits, not only for nature, but also include better air quality, locking up carbon, and providing flood mitigation. Given the current focus on nutrient neutrality and water quality in the area, the Habitat Bank will also reduce nutrient run-off into rivers. All of these gains will benefit local communities substantially.
We are seeing growing demand for our high-quality BNG Units in the area, so we would encourage those planning developments in Devon and the surrounding regions to come forward quickly to express interest. From there, we can progress to the next stage of the process, working closely with the Local Planning Authority.
Puddington Moor is one of many Habitat Banks across England where we are raising BNG Units that can be used to meet developers' BNG requirements. By talking to us early, compliance is demonstrated, significantly aiding the planning process. Additionally, by involving us at the point of conception, we can understand the exact requirements of individual sites at a local level. We then provide BNG Units at the point of need from a range of habitats across our sites.
Environment Bank Sales and Project Delivery Manager, Abby Thomas, said;
“Because BNG Units and Habitat Banking are our core business, our expert ecologists work with landowners to create, manage and maintain the gold standard in habitats. This means that developers wishing to reserve BNG Units from us are guaranteed to achieve the required metric, as defined by Defra, and therefore meet their requirements as set out in the Environment Act and planning law. We’re providing an end-to-end solution, for every development.
“BNG will be legally enforced through the planning system in November 2023. Environment Bank is already attracting significant interest from developers in the South West, particularly Devon and Cornwall, looking to satisfy their planning requirements to ensure the feasibility of upcoming projects in the area, with Puddington Moor Habitat Bank earmarked to provide the offset BNG Units.
To talk about purchasing or reserving BNG Units, please call 01904 202990 or complete our BNG Unit request form.