Corbridge field set to become region's first BNG site

H&H Land and Estates (HHLE) has been helping the landowner get the field ready for the fast-growing BNG market, where developers can buy units of biodiversity enhancement.

As demand for BNG units increases, the field is expected to produce 33 grassland units and two hedgerow units, with a potential market value of between £20,000 and £30,000 per unit.

Under the Environment Act 2021, commercial and residential developers applying for planning approval must demonstrate at least a 10% biodiversity net gain from their projects, ensuring it is sustained for a minimum of 30 years.

If this improvement in biodiversity can't be achieved on-site, developers can buy the equivalent gain from an off-site provider.

This has led to a growing market for BNG units.

Christopher Porter, who owns the Corbridge field, first contacted HHLE for help with a Countryside Stewardship scheme application.

However, after attending an HHLE seminar, he decided to focus on creating BNG units instead.

Mr Porter said: "I realised that potentially this could be more lucrative and less intrusive if I abandoned the proposed woodland scheme and instead went down the route of converting my lowland hay meadow from poor condition to good condition, and at the same time plant a new hedgerow.

"To do this, we needed to have a baseline survey, and David Morley came at short notice to do the survey in the summer of 2023.

Mr Porter added: "An essential step in this process involved establishing a ‘metric’ for the present and potential future environmental value of the land.

"This involved the team at H&H Land and Estates entering baseline survey data into a complex spreadsheet and identifying the environmental enhancements that could realistically be achieved.

"Their ecological knowledge and experience was invaluable in explaining what would need to be done on the ground to improve the environmental condition of the meadow.

"We had to convert a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) from our version to the Natural England template.

"This was more complicated, but I was fully supported by the H&H team."

H&H managed the metric, the county ecologist provided site feedback, and Muckles lawyers facilitated the Section 106 agreement with Northumberland County Council for the 30-year commitment.

Mr Porter said: "With the S106, the HMMP and the metric in place you are then ready to apply to Natural England to register biodiversity units.

"Developers can now search the Register and will see the habitat units being created – the first in Northumberland."

Despite the lengthy process, the landowner believes the environmental benefits are just as important as the financial ones.

He said: "I think this is a great scheme, and I am a believer that if we can do anything to combat global warming and encourage wildlife, it has to be a good thing.

"What I also think is important is that we will continue to farm the land, to improve from a lowland meadow in poor condition to good condition."

Tim Sedgewick, managing director at HHLE, said: "This is a very complex process, and as our client had made his commitment to pursue this route so early, we had to adapt to significant changes in the rules as we went along.

"However, the client was absolutely determined to achieve the registration of this first site, not just for financial gain but for the benefit of the environment and the local community.

"We are delighted that we have helped to get this over the finish line for this client, and we are looking forward to completing the sale of units on this land and helping other landowners to achieve the same success in tapping into the BNG market."