Stonehouse Habitat Bank

County: Gloucestershire
Local planning authority (LPA): Stroud District Council
National Character Area (NCA): Severn and Avon Vales
Biodiversity gain sites register number: BGS-020326001

Birds-eye render of Coney Weston Habitat Bank with habitats restored, including new meadows, rivers, streams, hedgerows, rural trees, scrub, and broadleaved woodland

Birds-eye render of Stonehouse Habitat Bank before restoration

Very high distinctiveness habitats

Lowland meadows

High distinctiveness habitats

Other rivers and streams
Species-rich native hedgerow with trees

Medium distinctiveness habitats

Mixed scrub
Other neutral grassland
Other woodland; broadleaved
Rural tree

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Habitat Bank overview

Our Stonehouse Habitat Bank is located near the village of Frocester, less than five miles from Stroud, right at the foothills of the Cotswolds.

Across almost sixty acres, our ecologists are transforming the gently sloping arable fields into a diverse mosaic of habitats to support a range of native flora and fauna.

Local people will be able to enjoy the Habitat Bank as biodiversity increases over the coming years with a public footpath crossing part of the site.

BNG delivery

At every Habitat Bank, we always look at the land to determine what can be achieved from the very start. Our biodiversity experts assess the soil, wildlife, vegetation, geology, hydrology, management history, and connectivity across the local landscape.

We take a baseline for each Habitat Bank using the statutory biodiversity metric. We carefully select the best possible habitats for us to establish so we can deliver and demonstrate measurable biodiversity gains over time.

Neighbouring LPAs
Tewkesbury Borough Council
Gloucester City Council
South Gloucestershire Council
Forest of Dean District Council
Cotswold District Council
Gloucestershire County Council

Neighbouring NCAs
Cotswolds
Bristol, Avon Valleys and Ridges
Teme Valley
South Herefordshire and Over Severn
Malvern Hills
Mid Severn Sandstone Plateau
Forest of Dean and Lower Wye
Dunsmore and Feldon
Arden

Our vision

Stonehouse Habitat Bank has been cleverly placed to build connectivity with habitats found in the surrounding area.

A number of local nature sites are nearby including the Woodchester Park Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Coaley Peak Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve, and two Local Wildlife Sites – the River Frome Mainstream and Tributaries, and Buckholt and Stanley Woods.

The habitats we’ve created have been selected to complement the rolling landscape and benefit a range of notable local species of wildlife including skylark, woodcock, and greater and lesser horseshoe bats. The trees and woodland we’ve planted will help support the neighbouring ancient woodland at Buckholt Wood.

We’re working closely with the local landowner whose cattle will help to manage the new grasslands through sustainable grazing, also supporting their farm business on the wider land holding.