BNG Habitat Bank partnership with Hartlepool Council | Environment Bank

Like many others in England, Hartlepool Borough Council had ambitious growth plans to boost housing and restore biodiversity in the local area.

In 2016, a strategic housing market assessment undertaken by the council suggested that they would need to provide between 300-400 new homes a year to cope with population growth. By 2023, a core objective in the Tees Valley local development plan showed that well over 1,000 new homes were now needed to meet demand.

With new housing essential to drive transformation for the local community, the council needed a proactive approach to BNG planning policy to avoid any delays to vital development projects.

By partnering with Environment Bank, the council was able to successfully launch a BNG site on its own land. The site will be managed by the local tenant farmers and will generate a supply of almost a hundred off-site Biodiversity Units ready for the upcoming development so urgently required to meet local targets.

Philip Timmins, a man in his sixties with grey hair and a blue raincoat, on-site at Hartlepool Habitat Bank — Principal Estates Surveyor at Hartlepool Borough Council, Philip Timmins

Preparing for local off-site BNG demand

Hartlepool’s Principal Estates Surveyor, Philip Timmins, recognised that a ready supply of local off-site Biodiversity Units would be needed for the council to meet its development goals while also complying with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) policy.

Philip knew that the best way to ensure this ready supply of Biodiversity Units was to create a BNG Habitat Bank on council-owned land but, along with adequate funding, a good deal of industry expertise would be required to successfully establish a Habitat Bank for BNG.

Initially, Philip considered managing this project in-house, but after learning more about the complexities involved and resources required, he chose to partner with a third-party provider specialising in BNG that would be able to offer the support, funding, and expertise needed.

Already familiar with Environment Bank as a leading BNG provider, Philip got in touch to propose a parcel of land at the edge of an upcoming housing development that might be suitable for Habitat Bank creation.

Environment Bank team stood with local manager looking out over Hartlepool Habitat Bank — Environment Bank team on-site at Hartlepool Habitat Bank

Creating a local BNG partnership

Philip’s proposed parcel was just under 35 acres of previously neglected farmland with poor agricultural productivity and very low biodiversity – making it an ideal candidate for BNG.

The new tenant farmers – local residents also managing a number of other parcels in the surrounding area – had been looking to use the land for grazing.

With a BNG Habitat Bank set to deliver a wide range of benefits for all involved, a partnership was created between the land managers, Hartlepool Borough Council, and Environment Bank to transform the land over a period of thirty years in accordance with BNG policy.

This partnership would result in new habitats created to restore nature in the local area and a ready supply of almost a hundred Biodiversity Units to support the council’s development goals.

Hartlepool Habitat Bank will provide great opportunities for pollenating butterflies and nesting birds. It will also add to the unique mix of biodiversity in Teesside and bring nature closer to those in the community while also retaining the character of the land.
Thomas Dodds
Ecologist
Environment Bank

Birds-eye render of Hartlepool Habitat Bank with habitats restored, with new meadows, scrub, ponds, orchards, and hedgerow — Our long-term vision for Hartlepool Habitat Bank

Securing the land for BNG

Although BNG Habitat Banks can be legally secured by a section 106 agreement with the local authority – which would have been Hartlepool Borough Council in this case – the council wanted the project to have the oversight of an independent third party, so this Habitat Bank is being secured for BNG under a conservation covenant with a responsible body instead.

This approach also meant that the council wouldn’t need to cover any of the legal or administrative costs associated with BNG – instead, everything is being taken care of by Environment Bank.

A skilled team of ecologists and land specialists from Environment Bank worked closely with Philip. Together, they agreed which habitats to create and how to manage them. This collaborative approach will help to ensure that Biodiversity Units are delivered as expected while the Habitat Bank develops over the next three decades.

Environment Bank team with Philip and the local land manager stood together on-site looking at designs for the Hartlepool Habitat Bank — Environment Bank team with Philip on-site at Hartlepool Habitat Bank

Providing Habitat Bank funding in advance

Alongside the legal costs, Environment Bank also funded all of the work needed to create new habitats, such as planting and fencing installation. This included paying the land managers and local contractors directly to support with habitat creation.

Once the agreement was signed, Environment Bank began paying Hartlepool Borough Council an annual fee for the 35-acre parcel.

For added assurance, annual habitat management payments are funded in advance for the full 30-year project using an evergreen bond provided to Environment Bank by the Gresham House British Sustainable Infrastructure Fund.

It is fantastic to be working with and supporting a local farmer and contractors who have experience and knowledge of working in the local area.
Elizabeth Dalby
Land Manager
Environment Bank

Environment Bank team with Philip and the local land manager stood together on-site at the Hartlepool Habitat Bank, with a new housing development behind them — Hartlepool Habitat Bank, with new local housing development underway nearby

Delivering local BNG from Hartlepool Habitat Bank

Development is already underway in the area surrounding Hartlepool Habitat Bank, with a new housing project currently being created by Bellway and Miller Homes just across the road alongside other projects in the local authority area.

In the broader area, there are a number of other development projects upcoming from a range of firms, including Persimmon Homes, PORT Homes, David Wilson Homes, Arup Group, Hartlepool Development Corporation, and Keepmoat – an existing BNG client of Environment Bank.

Find out more about our BNG Habitat Banks