Snettisham Habitat Bank, Norfolk

Local planning authority (LPA): Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk

National Character Area (NCA): The Fens

Biodiversity Units available:

Medium distinctiveness habitats

Mixed scrub
Other neutral grassland

Less than a mile from the Norfolk coast and connected to the RSPB Snettisham Reserve, this 17-hectare Habitat Bank is designed to support the coastline’s valuable biodiversity. We are transforming a previous grassland to become a range of thriving habitats that are crucial for multiple species, including internationally important migratory birds, a variety of pollinators, and mammals like bats, otters, and water voles.

Following a thorough assessment of the site's vegetation, wildlife, geology, hydrology, soil chemistry, management history, and landscape connectivity, we determined the best possible habitats to establish and made sure these enhancements would be deliverable. We established an ecological baseline for the site using Defra’s Statutory Biodiversity Metric, so we can clearly demonstrate biodiversity gains over time.

This assessment enables us to generate a range of high-integrity Biodiversity Unit habitat types that will ensure robust ecological outcomes. We also offer planning support to make sure our Biodiversity Units provide an effective local BNG delivery solution for developers within the Borough Council of Kings Lynn and West Norfolk LPA area or The Fens NCA. Our Units are ready to purchase now, subject to availability.

Adjacent LPAs for cross-boundary coverage:

Breckland Council
West Suffolk Council
Fenland District Council
North Norfolk District Council
South Holland District Council
East Cambridgeshire District Council

Adjacent NCAs for cross-boundary coverage:

The Brecks
Kesteven Uplands
East Anglian Chalk
North West Norfolk
Central Lincolnshire Vale
Southern Lincolnshire Edge
Lincolnshire Coast and Marshes
Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands

Snettisham Habitat Bank visualisation

Between the River Ingol and RSPB Nature Reserve, our Snettisham Habitat Bank is designed to connect essential coastal and wetland habitats to help restore the land's ecosystems. With the surrounding water and intended wetlands in mind, our ecologists are working to improve the soil’s health and water retention – helping support water security and natural flood management.

With 37% of the nation’s agricultural output supplied from East Anglia alone, building on the soil’s biodiversity will help benefit the region’s farming land. Nurturing the local landscape through habitat restoration, we’re taking proactive steps to reverse the effects of soil erosion and the decline of biodiversity, transforming the health of soil in such a vital area for food production.

Guided by the expertise of our qualified ecologists, we aim to foster healthy habitats for local flora and fauna – these habitats include woody scrub and grassland.

Our goal is to support a variety of species such as oystercatchers, redshank, water voles, common shrews, smooth newts, and bats, to name a few. We are especially excited to create a space that encourages nightingales, a species now rarely seen in the UK, to return and grow in abundance.