Network Rail has purchased 65 biodiversity units from Cambridgeshire County Council at Lower Valley Farm to facilitate the delivery of a new railway station in South Cambridge.
The 354-acre site, which is being transformed from arable farmland into biodiverse habitats, is believed to be one of the largest operational biodiversity banks in England.
Lower Valley Farm is being delivered by Cambridgeshire County Council in partnership with Bidwells, which has been appointed to manage the scheme over the next five years.
The site has been developed to coincide with the introduction of new regulations in January 2024, which will require all developments to produce a biodiversity net gain of at least 10% if they are to be granted planning permission.
Roland Bull, partner and head of rural investment at Bidwells, said: “Lower Valley Farm represents just a glimpse into the opportunity off-site habitat creation can offer both developers and local communities. It facilitates the development of this important infrastructure project in the form of Network Rail’s new Cambridge South Station, and simultaneously goes far beyond the minimum requirements of biodiversity net gain through creating a genuinely biodiverse site that will be conserved and managed for the long-term.
“At a time when development is urgently needed across both housing and infrastructure, it is vital developers have tools to get projects in motion and at the same time ensure they are making a positive contribution to local ecosystems.”
Councillor Lucy Nethsingha, leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, added: “Investing in the natural environment is crucial for a sustainable Cambridgeshire. Our innovative scheme at Lower Valley Farm makes it straightforward for developers unable to offer biodiversity net gain enhancing nature in the local area, through a council-backed scheme.
“On our thoughtfully managed former farmland we will be creating spaces for pollinators by establishing hay meadows, woodland and species rich hedgerows. We look forward to the benefits of botanic diversity and wildlife multiplying, as we craft these new habitats. In time we will also be putting in new paths to open up the area to the public, providing social as well as environmental gains for the local community.”
