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Cornwell Habitat Bank

County
Oxfordshire
Local planning authority (LPA)
West Oxfordshire District Council
National Character Area (NCA)
Cotswolds
Biodiversity gain sites register number
BGS-040924002
Birds-eye render of Cornwell Habitat Bank with habitats restored, including new meadows, ponds, grazing marsh, scrub, grassland, and native hedgerow
Birds-eye render of Cornwell Habitat Bank before restoration

Biodiversity Units

Very high distinctiveness habitats

  • Lowland meadows

High distinctiveness habitats

  • Floodplain wetland mosaic and CFGM
  • Ponds (priority habitat)

Medium distinctiveness habitats

  • Mixed scrub
  • Other neutral grassland
  • Species-rich native hedgerow
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Habitat Bank overview

We’re transforming almost seventy-five acres of pasture and arable land into a nature restoration site in the Cotswolds.

Our Cornwell Habitat Bank is bordered by streams, wetland, woodland, and hedgerows, making our site a vital place to build connectivity for key species to build in abundance.

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.

Coverage

Biodiversity Units from Cornwell Habitat Bank offer an effective local off-site BNG solution for the West Oxfordshire District Council LPA area and the Cotswolds NCA. They also provide adjacent coverage to the LPAs and NCAs listed below.
Neighbouring LPAs
Cotswold District Council
Vale of White Horse District Council
Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Cherwell District Council
Neighbouring NCAs
Severn and Avon Vales
Northamptonshire Uplands
Mendip Hills
Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands
Avon Vales
Bristol, Avon Valleys and Ridges
Upper Thames Clay Vales
Yardley-Whittlewood Ridge
Dunsmore and Feldon

Our vision

Cornwell Habitat Bank partially lies within the nature ‘Recovery Zone,’ as identified by the Draft Oxfordshire Nature Recovery Network. Several protected and notable species have been identified within the site, including lapwing, kingfisher, great crested newt, and brown hare.  

The Habitat Bank also contains Local Biodiversity Action Plan habitats, including coastal and floodplain grazing marsh and ponds. As part of the project, the grazing marsh is being enhanced to contain greater floristic diversity and newly created scrapes. Existing grassland and arable areas are being transformed into beautiful meadows, rich in native flora, mixed scrub, and a new pond – building an essential home for nature to thrive. 

The site includes a Public Right of Way (PRoW), meaning that the local community will be able to observe as the Habitat Bank continues to grow and develop as a nature haven for the coming decades – truly enhancing their access to nature. 

Areas of the Habitat Bank fall within flood zones. It is hoped that new scrapes within the grazing marsh, increased vegetation cover, and soil health enhancements will reduce surface water runoff and increase the soil’s water storage capacity, increasing the Habitat Bank’s resilience to climate change.

Render of Cornwell Habitat Bank with habitats restored, showing biodiverse pond within a thriving wildflower glassland being grazed by a small herd of native cattle surrounded by hedgerow

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