Archie Ruggles-Brise’s Post

📢 🎉 We've done it! 📢 🎉 Ground-breaking first biodiversity net gain S106 completed in Braintree District A developer working in Braintree District secured the required off-site habitat units from our pioneering nature recovery project after maximising the on-site compensation they could achieve. This approach was supported by Braintree District Council through the planning process and secured using the first BNG Section 106 agreement in the district. Edward Worthy ably supported the estate through the legal process. An area of 1.3 hectares of new grassland and scrub will be created and maintained at Spains Hall Estate for at least the next 30 years. Archie Ruggles-Brise, Estate Manager of Spains Hall Estate, said, “This deal is fantastic as it will enable us to dedicate some of our less productive land to nature. This fits brilliantly alongside our transition to sustainable farming and other nature based projects (including our famous beavers who continue to reduce flood risk in Finchingfield!) We hope it is the first of many such deals we secure as we aim to restore over 100 hectares of wildlife habitats on the farm through our Ecological Landscape Plan." Archie added, “Credit should also go to the team at Braintree District Council. This is the first BNG Section 106 agreement they’ve approved, and their collaborative approach was instrumental in getting it done. We hope it will ultimately help establish Braintree District as a focus for sustainable development that results in nature recovery as well as economic growth. ” This first BNG deal builds on many years pioneering work to restore nature at the Spains Hall Estate. Since 2020 the estate have been one of only five Natural England Biodiversity Net Gain pilot sites, helping the government and regulators develop the policy that underpins this and other BNG deals. The estate now offers BNG Units to developers through the country, but with a focus on East Anglia and London. #BNG #Naturerecovery #Sustainability #environmentact #climatechange

Science Into Action The Laxford is the first of hopefully many catchments where we can bring together all the relevant information of pressures and opportunities to see what the potential is to support our freshwater environment. This will lead to action - coordinated, considered action - ‘boots on the ground’ action as well as influencing the actions of others. By restoring the landscape we have the best chance to ensure that the decline of our iconic species are halted and we can start to rebuild precious populations. The Laxford catchment is home to #salmon #seatrout #trout #freshwaterpearlmussels #otters #humans #eagles #divers #butterflies #SphagnumMoss #insects #deer And they all need supporting by restoring a functioning landscape and creating better balance between the activities and impact of all of its inhabitants. 💦🌱🐟🐾

World Environment Day 2024 is themed 'land restoration, desertification and drought resilience'. Now, as we can all attest to, Scotland is not known for its deserts or drought but we do have some impressive land restoration projects underway. Check out this major land restoration project in The Highlands where a consortium of landowners and estates are working in partnership to make land more ecologically diverse and more resilient to climate change - reaching across transitional boundaries. Donald Rowantree, of CORROUR LANDS LIMITED said: “We’ve been working to restore natural habitats at a landscape scale for some years, and this partnership offers the opportunity to expand that work across ownership boundaries. The sharing of knowledge and expertise will also allow our resources to go further and be more effective.” Peter Cairns, from rewilding charity SCOTLAND: The Big Picture and convener of Loch Abar Mòr, said: 'efforts of individual landowners to restore nature on their property very often stopped and started at the estate boundary, with the work more effective when working collaboratively and at scale.' Once again proof that collaboration is key to drive sustainable goals at pace. #landrestoration #worldenvironmentday #scotland #sustainabuild #collaboration https://lnkd.in/exWPpZEz

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT - HABITAT PILES Did you know habitat piles enhance biodiversity by creating a variety of microhabitats? At Stonbury, we actively restore and preserve natural habitats across the UK, collaborating with various governmental organisations and charitable trusts to implement environmental and habitat establishment projects. This involves comprehensive long-term management plans and partnerships with entities like the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and wildlife and rivers trusts. With a focus on ecological sustainability, our team's initiatives encompass river channel management, landscape enhancement, river restoration, in-channel modifications, and controlling invasive non-native species (INNS). By recognising the environmental significance of these efforts, we prioritise the importance of adhering to strict biosecurity measures to prevent the spread of INNS. To learn more about our commitment to habitat piles, read more in our Project News > https://ow.ly/hybr50Sx2aP #HabitatPiles #BiodiversityEnhancement #NaturalHabitats #EnvironmentalRestoration #INNSControl #WaterIndustry #WaterEvironment #Repair #Refurbish #Maintain #Build #Stonbury

The recent Health Check Report published by the Campaign for National Parks (CNP) highlights that only 6% of national parks' total land area is managed effectively for nature. 🏞️ It is encouraging to see many encouraging case studies highlighted throughout the report, including The Woodland Trust's fantastic woodland creation scheme at Snaizeholme in Yorkshire, which we have been proud to deliver. Maydencroft welcomes the report's call to ensure national parks are recognised for nature as much as the landscape, increase funding, and improve incentives for landowners to enter agri-environment schemes to deliver NP Management Plan targets. We also hope that Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has a role in securing long-term nature recovery and will continue to open up opportunities to enhance land previously off-limits. Our Head of Consultancy, Jon Collins says, "Whilst the financial incentives offered by BNG are bringing many landowners and estates to the door of nature recovery, we must have a clearer framework for scrutiny, inspection and enforcement. BNG schemes within National Parks must be aligned with the strategic objectives within NP Management Plans, and NPAs need to be consulted on designs and HMMPs to ensure appropriateness". Visit our BNG website here: https://lnkd.in/dDw-9XRa You can read the entire national parks report here: https://lnkd.in/d5rhzPyv. #NationalParks #NatureRecovery #BiodiversityNetGain #LandManagement #Conservation #WoodlandCreation #AgriEnvironment #EnvironmentalConsultancy #Sustainability #NatureConservation

Green Earth Developments Group acquire Stairfoot Quarries, Barnsley, to create a regionally significant nature reserve.  #GEDG is delighted to announce the acquisition of the #Stairfoot Quarry complex in #Barnsley from our client Heidelberg Materials UK. The 29-hectare former quarries at Stairfoot have a rich industrial history dating back to the nineteenth century. The complex comprises a series of former clay pits used for the manufacture of bricks a number of which have been previously infilled. The remaining mineral void at Yew Tree Quarry requires pumping and restoring to enable the creation of the proposed nature reserve.    GEDG’s plans are to develop the nature site in partnership with the local community, Barnsley Council and other interested parties including local schools, providing a wide range of stakeholders with access to nature in their locality.    It is anticipated that a planning application for the restoration of the currently flooded mineral void will be submitted during 2024, with creation of the nature reserve happening alongside this. GEDG plans to consult widely in the local area over the Autumn period ahead of any plans being submitted to Barnsley Council.    Under the stewardship of GEDG, the site will now be managed as a local environmental asset in perpetuity.    Lucinda Lay, Head of Natural Capital and ESG, GEDG   ‘The site is in the National Character Area (NCA) Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire Coalfield and will therefore serve as a biodiversity offsetting site for developments in #Sheffield, #Rotherham, #Nottingham, #Derby, #Barnsley, #Wakefield, #Leeds and #Bradford. This is a regionally significant asset acquisition for the Green Earth Developments Group’s growing portfolio.’    Currently, the site comprises a mosaic of largely unmanaged habitats including developed land, grassland, woodland, scrub, hedgerows, trees and water bodies. Valuable habitats will be retained and enhanced with sustainable management practices. There are opportunities to create new habitats on site to encourage invertebrates and amphibians.    Middlemarch, the UK's largest Wildlife Trust Consultancy and leader in the preservation of the natural environment, conducted the initial baseline ecological and biodiversity net gain (#BNG) surveys. These surveys assessed the current habitats and their condition and identified biodiversity uplift options to support the proposed nature reserve plans and national nature recovery targets.

This is exactly what should be happening to historic legacy assets to bring them back to nature and public use. Very exciting move.

Housing is urgently needed, particularly here in Washington State. I published this op-ed 1 year ago today. In it I discussed how we can address the housing crisis in ways that promote conservation and improve human well-being by increasing access to nature. On that 1 year anniversary I'm about to submit a study for peer-review that my colleagues and I just wrapped up. Our research underscores how Washington can get win-win-wins for housing, conservation, and people's nature-derived wellbeing. "The science is clear: our cities can both densify and bolster biodiversity to foster the healthy communities Washington deserves. Housing policy is conservation policy. Equitable housing is conservation." #biodiversity #conservation #housing https://lnkd.in/gRCU__tH

We are thrilled to announce the successful acquisition of a 42.78-acre site in Ashurst, Kent. This project will aim to generate valuable Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Units.   Following our earlier purchase in Essex, we have purchased this land to enter the growing Natural Capital market, marking our second acquisition into this emerging market.   These Units will be created by focussing on the planting of grasslands and hedgerows, to enhance the biodiversity. This will be done in agreement with a Responsible Body.   This initiative aligns seamlessly with the upcoming government legislation mandating a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain for new developments in England, with some Local Planning Authorities setting even higher targets. Our strategic position enables us to supply or use these BNG Units, supporting various developments while fostering wildlife-friendly spaces.   If you have any queries or a need for BNG Units, please contact Will Cross MRICS at: Will.Cross@wates.co.uk   For more information on our land investment and promotion services, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eRb6swtg   #NaturalCapital #BiodiversityNetGain #SustainableDevelopment #EnvironmentalStewardship #RealEstateInvestment #landplanning  

The UK government's upcoming Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) scheme presents a huge opportunity to reverse decades of habitat loss and the decline of many different species. 🦊 With BNG Finder working to help match developers with landowners to create high-quality habitats, we strongly support the implementation of this policy. BNG's strength lies in aligning economic growth with ecological restoration. Developers expand housing and infrastructure, landowners diversify income, and nature reclaims lost ground - everyone wins. BNG has the potential to revolutionise land use in England if it is executed properly. Despite what some critics might say about its implementation, we see tremendous interest from both developers and landowners eager to participate. The policy creates new revenue streams while letting farmers derive value from marginal lands. And for some developers, it can be more cost-effective to pay for off-site habitat creation than trying to achieve net gains on-site. Now we’re in 2024, what matters most is pushing forward with urgency. BNG represents a shift in how we value nature's services alongside economic priorities. https://lnkd.in/d6-UUyw3 #Biodiversity #BiodiversityNetGain #SustainableDevelopment #Sustainability