Local BNG for civic centre development
Rochdale Development Agency set out to enhance a new civic centre in Heywood, Greater Manchester, with a range of new public spaces. Environment Bank was able to deliver the ideal off-site BNG offering at the scale they needed with speed and ease.
About the development project
Heywood Civic was opened in 1966 as a cultural hub for the town. Due to recent deterioration, Rochdale Borough Council embarked on a capital redevelopment project with support from Arts Council England and Your Trust Rochdale.
They selected Rochdale Development Agency to make the planned improvements which would include a new outdoor event space and expanded green spaces to really enhance this jewel in Heywood’s crown.
Green development was front of mind from the start, and Rochdale Development Agency set out to devise changes that complemented the existing trees and vegetation surrounding the Civic, as well as offering new performance space.
The project development site didn’t offer enough space to delivery BNG entirely on-site. It was this, combined with a nature-conscious mindset, that drew them to a local BNG solution, provided by Environment Bank.
A perfectly scaled BNG solution, delivered at pace
Due to the prioritisation of nature on-site, Rochdale Development Agency needed less than one full Biodiversity Unit to guarantee that the project would meet its BNG requirements, but they also needed a mixture of habitat types, adding a layer of complexity to the requirement.
After early discussions with Rochdale Development Agency, we were able to create a tailored solution blending the exact habitat types at the scale required. The extent and diversity of our national BNG network means that we have Biodiversity Units ready to meet a wide range of developer needs, large and small.
Once the final payment was made, it only took just one month to complete the biodiversity gain sites register (BGSR) allocation and bookend the project. Our availability and support throughout this ensured that we were always in lockstep with Rochdale Development Agency’s timescales.
Environment Bank has been extremely helpful in the process of purchasing Biodiversity Units – right through from the initial consultation, providing us with options to suit time and cost constraints. They also ensured the necessary planning conditions were met, explained the process and the steps required to purchase these Biodiversity Units, and provided assistance and clear communication throughout the process. We are pleased to have been able to work with them to purchase Biodiversity Units that are within close range of the site, helping us to ensure that our local biodiversity remains protected for years to come.
Preena Mistry
Senior Project Officer
Rochdale Development Agency
Delivering local BNG and contributing to the community
We supplied Rochdale with Biodiversity Units from our Newhey Habitat Bank, a mere seven miles from the development site. They needed four different habitat types, all of which we were able to supply from this beautiful, sixty-acre site in the South Pennines which is home to a beautiful herd of Shetland ponies whose grazing habits help encourage greater biodiversity.
Newhey Habitat Bank is also in the same local planning authority (LPA) area as Heywood. This is crucially important as it created links between local nature and local developments. By offering Biodiversity Units so close by, we were able to ensure that the solution was as cost-effective as a possible, and that the local community can see how developers in the area are contributing to nature restoration.
Our ecologists started working on Newhey Habitat Bank in 2024, and we’ve since transformed the farmland into a diverse mix of fens, meadows, ponds, and more. The site has served to connect surrounding habitats and form the ideal conditions for a range of local wildlife species including otter, curlew, and peregrine falcon.
“We were delighted to play our part in this huge development for the Heywood area. Working with Rochdale Development Agency saw us pinpoint a local source to provide the precise combination of Biodiversity Units required – something we’re always more than happy to do to ensure budgets are efficiently met and links between local nature and local developments are established.
Melissa Elibol
Key Account Manager
Environment Bank