Off-site biodiversity net gain (BNG) provider Environment Bank and Hartlepool Borough Council have joined forces to create a local habitat bank.
Environment Bank will fund, establish, monitor and oversee the long-term management of Hartlepool Habitat Bank as it generates biodiversity units to support house building in the borough.
Hartlepool Habitat Bank, which is located in the village of Hart, spans nearly 35 acres of previously low-productivity farmland. The land is being transformed into habitats that encourage biodiversity, including wildflower meadows, native hedgerows, mixed scrubland and new ponds.
Environment Bank will also create a traditional orchard and establish seven new ponds amongst the grassland to increase the resilience of the land and support natural flood management.
Catherine Spitzer, CEO of Environment Bank said: “Hartlepool Council’s approach demonstrates that meeting housing targets and investing in nature can, and should, go hand in hand. While developers are required to prioritise on-site BNG, in many cases, space constraints make this unfeasible and ineffective, particularly when building at scale.
“By partnering with Hartlepool Council to create a local BNG Habitat Bank, we’ve generated biodiversity units that developers can purchase to meet their BNG obligations off-site. Having a BNG provision within the LPA area means developers won’t need to source biodiversity units that aren’t local – which would be more expensive for the developer– and this ensures that biodiversity gains are delivered close to where the impact occurs.
“This approach supports the local environment, reduces costs for developers, and ultimately helps accelerate housing growth, so we’re proud to be partnering with Hartlepool Council to create a local BNG habitat bank.”
Philip Timmins, principal estates surveyor at Hartlepool Borough Council, added: “Ensuring a ready supply of local off-site biodiversity units is crucial for unlocking development in Hartlepool. Partnering with Environment Bank allows us to meet our housing growth targets while delivering significant environmental benefits – without adding administrative burdens to the council.”
Thomas Dodds, ecologist at Environment Bank, said: “Hartlepool Habitat Bank will provide great opportunities for pollenating butterflies and nesting birds. It will also add to the unique mix of biodiversity in Teesside and bring nature closer to those in the community while also retaining the character of the land.”
