Cumbria Habitat Bank: Transforming Agricultural Land for Biodiversity
Collington Winter Environmental delivered a comprehensive biodiversity net gain and habitat banking scheme across land at Sceugh near Penrith, Cumbria. The site consisted predominantly of arable land, with areas of modified grassland, boundary hedgerows and scattered trees. A UKHab baseline assessment identified the existing habitats as generally low distinctiveness, while highlighting strong opportunities for ecological enhancement.
Baseline Assessment and Biodiversity Strategy
The site was assessed using the Statutory Biodiversity Metric to quantify its baseline biodiversity value and inform a targeted habitat creation and management strategy.
A key element of the scheme was converting areas of arable and modified grassland into species-rich neutral grassland. This was supported by revised cutting regimes, overseeding and long-term nutrient reduction to encourage greater plant diversity and improve habitat condition.
Additional habitat creation included native broadleaved woodland and mixed scrub, together with new tree planting to increase structural diversity. Existing hedgerows were enhanced through gapping-up, native planting and improved management, while limited new hedgerow creation helped strengthen habitat connectivity across the site.
Long-Term Habitat Management
All habitats are secured through a 30-year Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan, with clear condition targets and ongoing monitoring. The plan also allows for adaptive management to respond to changing site conditions and ensure biodiversity objectives are maintained over the long term.
The combination of species-rich grassland, woodland, scrub and enhanced hedgerows creates a more diverse and connected habitat network, delivering measurable biodiversity improvements across the site.
Biodiversity Net Gain Delivered
- 181+ habitat units
- 75 hedgerow units
The project demonstrates how predominantly agricultural land can be strategically managed to deliver significant long-term ecological improvements while contributing towards Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements.
Contact Us
Registered Address
23 Bark Street East, 1st Floor, Bolton, BL1 2BQ
Cambridge Office
Future Business Centre, Cambridge Campus, Kings Hedges Road, Cambridge, CB4 2HY
Leicester Office
Rutland House, 23-25 Friar Lane, Leicester, LE1 5QQ
Bristol Office
Newminster House, 27-29 Baldwin Street, Bristol, BS1 1LT
Telephone
Head Office: 01204 939 608
Dumfries Office: 01387 378208