Adlington Estate offers land for upcoming biodiversity requirements
Beginning in November next year, nearly all planning applications will require a plan to increase biodiversity net gain by a minimum of 10%.
This BNG requirement is part of the Environment Act 2021, which achieved royal assent in November 2021. The BNG requirement can be met either onsite or offsite. The land must be secured for at least 30 years as well.
Adlington Estate is seeking to address the need for offsite BNG sites.
Working with ecological consultants Tyler Grange and surveyor Meller Speakman, the Cheshire estate has set aside 68 acres by Adlington Hall for developers to utilise to meet the BNG requirements.
The land sits north of Macclesfield and is used as a pasture for cattle and sheep to graze. The area has been identified as low in biodiversity value, which could be improved by the planting of additional species of grass, hedgerows, and trees.
- Read more: The need to lead with nature in property
According to Adlington Estate, it has already received interest from Anwyl Homes, David Wilson Homes, and Bellway regarding the BNG site.
“There’s a well-documented need for new housing in the UK and we’ve decided to lead the way on the BNG initiative to support developers in meeting their obligations,” said Camilla Legh, owner of Adlington Estate.
“We have very much look forward to seeing the habitat improvements within the estate and its overall sustainability offering.”
Joseph Dance, an associate at Tyler Grange and lead on the Adlington estate project’s technical delivery, echoed Legh’s enthusiasm.
“We’re all incredibly excited to deliver this vision for the estate and to further establish the estate as a net gain provider,” Dance said.
“It’s great to be able to meet the demand for BNG units in Cheshire by supplying developers with much-needed off-site units”
Adlington Estate is not the only one pre-empting the BNG requirements by offering up sites to developers. Down South, Cambridgeshire County Council has offered up land on Lower Valley Farm in Fulbourn for those unable to meet the BNG criteria. South Downs National Park has also created a BNG offsetting site for developers to use.
Natural England is developing a registry of approved sites for BNG offsetting. Adlington Estate said that it plans to be included in that registry.
