Swinton Estate has secured approval to turn 20 acres of its land into Yorkshire’s first habitat bank, which businesses can invest in to receive biodiversity net gain (BNG) credits.
North Yorkshire County Council has approved the proposal following work which began in 2023 to turn overgrazed land into a more biodiverse habitat through tree planting and improvements to grassland and hedgerows.
More birds, butterflies and insect life will be encouraged as well as improving the variety of moss, fungi and wildflowers. Walking paths have also been created to allow the local community to enjoy the new habitat.
Thanks to this work, Swinton will be creating 55 habitat units, which are now available for businesses to invest in.
In February 2024, new laws were introduced in England which require all new developments to deliver a biodiversity gain of at least 10 per cent either on-site or off-site through purchasing biodiversity habitat units. However, Swinton Estate is looking to deliver value for businesses beyond the property sector.
The availability of BNG habitat units enhances the Estate’s existing carbon credits and other nature-based projects it offers businesses through its Nourish partnership programme.
Nourish empowers businesses to go beyond simply investing in credits to form a deeper partnership which helps them to deliver more meaningfully against their ESG goals by supporting biodiversity and natural habitats in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales.
Iain Shelton, chief executive at Swinton Estate, said: “Swinton is one of the first to gain approval from the North Yorkshire planning authority for offsite BNG credits. This enables us to offer 55 habitat units to local house builders and developers to fulfil their bio-diversity requirements. We will continue to work with the LPA to now secure more environmental sites, including specialised open mosaic habitat units by the end of the year.”
To find out more about Swinton Estate’s BNG programme, habitat units or its Nourish programme, visit the website.