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BBC News
10 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Wild orchid flourishing in woodland near Ardingly in West Sussex
A company creating "habitat banks", spaces designed to increase biodiversity, says it hopes that a rare orchid species found growing at its site in West Sussex will spread to neighbouring part of its work delivering habitat restoration in line with the government's Biodiversity Net Gain policy, Environment Bank manages a stretch of woodland near was there that a thriving population of early purple orchids, with links to both Shakespeare and Christianity, has been Dodds, associate ecologist at Environment Bank, has spoken glowingly about this "beautiful find". "They're quite strongly associated with ancient habitat bank that we have at Ardingly encompasses a small strip of ancient woodland and that's where we found the orchids," he told BBC Radio Dodds explained that the company created "colonisation points" in the hope of expanding this habitat is part of the wider aim of restoring habitats - in this case, an orchid which remains quite, albeit not "wildly", Bank's work is funded by the Biodiversity Net Gain policy which requires developers to achieve a 10% minimum biodiversity net gain on any Dodds said: "If the company can't deliver the biodiversity net gain on the site that they're developing, then we take the money from them and deliver habitats which are then secured for 30 years on our habitat banks."While rare in modern times, this orchid is mentioned in Shakespeare's Hamlet and also has an association with Christianity."They were believed to be the orchid that grew at the bottom of Christ's meant that they've got little spots on their leaves, and that was thought to be from the drops of blood from the crucifixion," added Mr Dodds.
BBC News
14-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Ilkley Moor habitat bank launched to boost nature recovery
An area of land on the edge of Ilkley Moor will become a "habitat bank" to conserve wildlife and attract new 140-acre Keighley Habitat Bank, between Silsden and Riddlesden, will restore fields previously used for sheep grazing to their natural state - with meadows, scrub and woodland. The project is being run by Environment Bank, which sells land to developers to offset the environmental impact of their construction said it hopes to create new habitats that support a variety of species found in the local moorland, including otters and badgers as well as nesting birds like curlew, cuckoo, lapwing, and grey partridge. Two areas of mature Scots pine woodland within the habitat bank will be improved to encourage greater ecological connectivity across the will be managed using sustainable, low-intensity grazing techniques with sheep and cattle, mirroring traditional land stewardship practices, Environment Bank said. Part of the habitat bank sits within flood zones along Holden Beck, providing an opportunity to enhance natural flood mitigation in the area, it added. Cameron Chester, the senior ecologist leading on Keighley Habitat Bank, said: "This is a really great site located at the edge of the beautiful Ilkley Moor. There are some really ecologically valuable habitats here already, including upland fen and waxcap grassland, and the opportunity to enhance those and the site as a whole is really exciting."Last year, biodiversity offsetting was introduced into the planning process across gain planning permission, developers must demonstrate a 10% net gain in biodiversity. This has led to schemes such as Environment project is designed to support both organisations that need to meet a statutory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirement and those who want to contribute voluntarily. The Keighley Habitat Bank is one of almost 40 BNG sites from Environment Bank's national network, created and managed by its team of ecologists in partnership with rural is due to be added to the national biodiversity gain sites register in September. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Moorland to be restored to its 'natural state'
An area of land on the edge of Ilkley Moor will become a "habitat bank" to conserve wildlife and attract new species. The 140-acre Keighley Habitat Bank, between Silsden and Riddlesden, will restore fields previously used for sheep grazing to their natural state - with meadows, scrub and woodland. The project is being run by Environment Bank, which sells land to developers to offset the environmental impact of their construction projects. It said it hopes to create new habitats that support a variety of species found in the local moorland, including otters and badgers as well as nesting birds like curlew, cuckoo, lapwing, and grey partridge. Two areas of mature Scots pine woodland within the habitat bank will be improved to encourage greater ecological connectivity across the landscape. It will be managed using sustainable, low-intensity grazing techniques with sheep and cattle, mirroring traditional land stewardship practices, Environment Bank said. Part of the habitat bank sits within flood zones along Holden Beck, providing an opportunity to enhance natural flood mitigation in the area, it added. Cameron Chester, the senior ecologist leading on Keighley Habitat Bank, said: "This is a really great site located at the edge of the beautiful Ilkley Moor. There are some really ecologically valuable habitats here already, including upland fen and waxcap grassland, and the opportunity to enhance those and the site as a whole is really exciting." Last year, biodiversity offsetting was introduced into the planning process across England. To gain planning permission, developers must demonstrate a 10% net gain in biodiversity. This has led to schemes such as Environment Bank. This project is designed to support both organisations that need to meet a statutory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirement and those who want to contribute voluntarily. The Keighley Habitat Bank is one of almost 40 BNG sites from Environment Bank's national network, created and managed by its team of ecologists in partnership with rural landowners. It is due to be added to the national biodiversity gain sites register in September. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Habitat bank lets developers 'offset' climate harm Ponies let loose on moors to munch down overgrowth Rewilding project could see beavers return to estate Environment Bank
BBC News
19-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
Rare ponies released on Horwich moorland in conservation drive
A herd of hardy Exmoor ponies has been released on moorland to help drive the restoration of natural habitats and boost bird endangered small horses have been let loose on 126 acres (51 hectares) of farmland in Horwich, Bolton, which is being restored to its natural scheme is being run by Environment Bank, a company which sells parcels of land to developers to offset the environmental impact of their construction Environment Bank spokesman said the herd had been introduced to eat soft rush, a tough plant enjoyed by ponies for its "sweet green bite". Exmoor ponies, mentioned in the Doomsday Book of 1086, have previously been used to graze land in conservation schemes across the UK. At Horwich, it is hoped they will eat the soft rush which, according to the Environment Bank spokesman, has "overtaken much of the site".Its pervasive growth is thought to have driven out waders like lapwing, curlew and redshank by holding back other flora."By reducing the extent of the soft rush, [the ponies will] allow other species to come through," the spokesman added. It is hoped the ponies, which belong to local breeder and vet Michael Dewhurst, will create space for wildflowers and other plant species by grazing and trampling over the land. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
The Guardian
14-02-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Habitat banks: how law to boost wildlife in England is faring one year in
To most people driving through the waterlogged fields of West Sussex, a patch of muddy land dotted with scrubby trees would not warrant a second glance. But this former farmland is being given a new lease of life as part of a government scheme to boost wildlife. Ardingly habitat bank is one of the pilot sites for the biodiversity net gain (BNG) scheme. Under legislation that came into force in February 2024, new roads, houses and other building projects must achieve a 10% net gain in biodiversity if nature is damaged on a site. So if a forest is bulldozed to make way for a block of flats, the developer must recreate a similar habitat, plus 10%. But there are concerns the policy may not achieve what it promised. One year in, an assessment suggests it has so far delivered less than half the minimum amount of habitat expected. Can it be made to work? Finding space for nature is supposed to be the priority for developments, but if that is not possible, habitats must be created elsewhere, ideally in the local area. This is where the habitat banks come in: developers can buy biodiversity units from these banks, which are located around England, to meet their BNG conditions. Habitat banks can be placed in key areas to help build ecological networks across whole landscapes, allowing nature to recover and thrive. If all goes well, says Matthew Dodds, an associate ecologist at Environment Bank, a biodiversity gains specialist company that is responsible for 18 of the habitat bank sites that are already up and running, within 30 years, the muddy field in which the Guardian is standing could be teeming with wildlife. This particular bank covers 40 hectares (99 acres). On a tour around the fields, Dodds and his colleague, a fellow ecologist, Sam Knowles, showed me where each pond, grassland or meadow area would be. There was a small patch of ancient woodland in the middle. Nearby was a big crop of early purple orchids that, until recently, had been contained to the forest area. These and other ancient woodland indicator species are expected to spread out and expand their populations. A year on from the legislation coming into force (for England only at this stage), Environment Bank said that, since the start of 2025, demand had boomed, with sales in January this year matching all sales from the second half of 2024, and live inquiries standing at a value of £210m. There are a selection of sites around England, including areas in Oxfordshire, Shropshire, Devon and Northumberland. Knowles said half of the Ardingly site had already been sold: 'Once all the units on this bank have been bought, if the demand in this area needs to be met then another habitat bank will be situated, and hopefully the dream will be to have almost a stepping stone of habitat banks in the area.' Environment Bank said it was keen to look for land that was not as productive as it could be – land like Ardingly, which was heavy clay, making it difficult to farm. 'We always look at the least productive land like this that's struggling to make an income itself and not really providing as much as it could be,' Dodds said. But there have been concerns about the system too. Wildlife and Countryside Link, a coalition of UK environmental organisations, released data earlier this month that showed the BNG scheme had delivered just 50% of the minimum amount of habitat expected and 13% of the amount deemed 'likely' to be created. Six hundred and eighty hectares of land have been secured for offsite habitat creation and enhancement by local authorities, with a further 93 hectares of onsite habitat reported under freedom of information requests. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) estimated that 5,428 hectares was likely to be generated annually by BNG, and the minimum estimate was 1,551 hectares. Richard Benwell, the chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: 'This first year has got the system running with some great projects, but in other areas low ambition, loopholes and weak enforcement have meant missed opportunities … This anniversary is a good time for government to up its ambition for net gain in local communities by closing loopholes, boosting local planning and regulator resource, and boosting gains beyond 10% to deliver more woodlands, wetlands, wildflower meadows and wildlife. 'This is a question of public trust as well as better rules. Much more investment is needed in local authorities and regulators to ensure that developers' promises are actually delivered.' A Defra spokesperson said: 'For too long, nature and development have been unnecessarily pitted against each other. Communities and the environment deserve better than this broken status quo. That is why this government is working closely with the sector to make BNG work effectively to protect our natural world.' Defra also said the number of offsite units being created did not necessarily signify the policy was not a success, as it did not account for onsite biodiversity gain. But who will keep tabs on these banks? Emma Toovey, the ecology director at Environment Bank, said regulation by outside bodies would hold them accountable on their 30-year biodiversity pledge. Every site the company owns is bound through a legal agreement between the landowner and a third party – either the local authority or another responsible body – who will verify the site's progress. 'We've seen huge change in the last year,' Toovey said. 'We've seen a huge increase in capacity and skilling up across both the local government and sector developers themselves, big and small, and operators like us. We're at a point, a year on, where none of us expected it to be quite so successful.'
