What is thought to be the first off-site Biodiversity Net Gain ( BNG ) agreement in the north-west of Essex has been completed by Essex farm Spains Hall Estate.
After maximising the on-site payment they may obtain, a programmer working in Braintree District obtained the required off-site wildlife units from a nearby pioneer nature restoration project. Braintree District Council endorsed this strategy throughout the planning process and secured it with the district’s first BNG Part 106 deal. At Spains Hall Estate, an area of 1.3 acres of fresh grassland and brush may be established and kept up for at least for the next 30 times.
Archie Ruggles-Brise, Estate Manager of Spains Hall Estate, said,” This package is amazing as it will help us to devote some of our less successful land to nature. This perfectly complements our transition to sustainable farming and other nature-based initiatives ( including our renowned beavers, who continue to reduce the risk of flooding in Finchingfield )! Through our Ecological Landscape Plan, we hope it will be the first of many such agreements we can secure. Over 100 hectares of land wildlife habitats will be restored through this program.
Archie added”, Credit should also go to the staff at Braintree District Council. Their cooperative approach played a key role in getting this arrangement approved, and this is their primary BNG Section 106 agreement. We hope it will eventually aid in making Braintree District a center for sustainable development that promotes both economic growth and natural regeneration.
This initial BNG agreement strengthens previous times of founding efforts to preserve Spains Hall Estate’s natural setting. The house has been one of only five Natural England Biodiversity Online Gain pilot places since 2020, helping the state and regulators create the legal framework for this and other BNG agreements. Developers across the nation can now obtain BNG Products from the house, with an emphasis on East Anglia and London.
