BNG CASE STUDY
National Grid partners with Environment Bank on BNG for major OHL refurbishment project spanning East Anglia
Developer: National Grid
Sector: Infrastructure – energy
Region: East of England
LPAs: South Norfolk District Council; Mid Suffolk District Council
NCAs: South Norfolk & High Suffolk Claylands, South Suffolk & North Essex Clayland
Habitat Banks:
Heacham, West Norfolk
Chippenham, Wiltshire
Emberton, Buckinghamshire
Biodiversity Units:
Grassland
Woodland
Hedgerow
Lowland meadow
Heathland and shrub
About the development project
To meet their corporate sustainably commitments, National Grid needed a solution that could provide off-site biodiversity enhancements and a large supply of Biodiversity Units associated with the impacts of a 62km overhead powerline refurbishment project from Norwich to Bramford.
This refurbishment project was required to enhance the electricity network, upgrading the system to better support the UK’s net zero goals by increasing the power capacity of the lines.
Having already purchased Biodiversity Units from Environment Bank for another development project, National Grid were confident that we could deliver a tailored, cost-effective solution that ensured meaningful biodiversity gains would be achieved.
As the project crossed over multiple counties, local planning authority (LPA) areas, and National Character Areas (NCAs), we created a balanced solution, sourcing Biodiversity Units from a number of our Habitat Banks. This ensured that the appropriate niche habitat types were restored and that biodiversity gains were delivered as locally as possible.
Robust BNG supply and expert support
While the biodiversity gains solution required for this project was needed to satisfy National Grid’s own voluntary targets, we took no less care and diligence in the legal and planning support we provided throughout the process.
Due to our national network of Habitat Banks, we are able to work strategically to find the appropriate Unit types. While the majority of our clients require Biodiversity Units from a single Habitat Bank, our planning team were able to source the required Units from multiple sites for this project.
National Grid can now rest assured that our Habitat Banks are all legally secured for a minimum period of 30 years so that we can achieve the anticipated biodiversity uplifts we intended to deliver. Each project is forward funded, with this funding ringfenced to ensure that the habitats are managed and maintained for their full lifetime.
Having worked with Environment Bank before, we were confident that their BNG solutions would help us to meet our biodiversity commitments on such a large-scale project, they were very responsive and provided a range of options to meet our needs. Their Habitat Banks have the ecological integrity that’s so essential to helping reach our environmental goals.
Impactful BNG on a broad scale
Due to the scope of the project, which covers a space of more than 60km, we provided National Grid with Biodiversity Units from three of our Habitat Banks – one close to the northmost point of the power line stretch in Norfolk, and two where we have created specific niche habitat types that are most suitable for this project.
All together, these Habitat Banks cover more than 100 hectares of land where we’re creating dedicated spaces for nature recovery that can be carefully protected, managed, and monitored by our team of ecologists over the next three decades.
Each site has been uniquely planned and designed in collaboration with the local landowner. This means that each Habitat Bank will help to deliver the biodiversity gains we anticipate, while also supporting the landowner’s own farming business.
It was a delight to work with National Grid again, and on such a substantial project. We’re thrilled that they chose to work with us to help meet their voluntary biodiversity targets, which are to be thoroughly commended. We look forward to working with them again in the future.
Lloyd Collins
Account Director – Planning and Delivery
Environment Bank
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