Aylesford Habitat Bank
- County
- Kent
- Local planning authority (LPA)
- Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
- National Character Area (NCA)
- Wealden Greensand
- Biodiversity gain sites register number
- BGS-021026001
Biodiversity Units
Very high distinctiveness habitats
- Species-rich native hedgerow with trees — associated with bank or ditch
High distinctiveness habitats
- Species-rich native hedgerow with trees
Medium distinctiveness habitats
- Mixed scrub
- Other neutral grassland
- Other woodland; broadleaved
- Rural tree
Habitat Bank overview
Nestled on the banks of the River Medway in Kent is our Aylesford Habitat Bank, a dedicated nature recovery project. There, we’re transforming more than thirty acres of arable land carefully chosen as an ideal space for our experts to revitalise an area of particularly low farming productivity and restore its historic biodiversity.
This Habitat Bank is surrounded by marshes and wetlands, and our creation of grassland, woodland, and hedgerow habitats will create a perfect home for numerous important species of local wildlife that thrive in wetland areas.
BNG delivery
An essential part of our Habitat Bank delivery process is the initial assessment of the land. This ensures that our team are maximising potential biodiversity uplift from the outset. We look at each site’s natural features and histories – taking into account soil type and condition, long-term management history, native wildlife, hydrology, existing vegetation, geology, and connectivity across wider landscapes.
For each of our Habitat Banks, we take a baseline using the statutory biodiversity metric – ensuring that we can accurately measure the benefits brought by our nature restoration works over our thirty-year management period.
Coverage
| Neighbouring LPAs |
|---|
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Maidstone Borough Council
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Gravesham Borough Council
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Sevenoaks District Council
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Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
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Medway Council
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| Neighbouring NCAs |
|---|
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North Downs
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Hampshire Downs
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Low Weald
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Romney Marshes
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South Downs
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Our vision
Aylesford Habitat Bank sits within a habitat corridor connecting significant nature sites nearby. This includes the Holborough to Burnham Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and the Wouldham to Detling Escarpment SSSI. Wetland habitats have declined by 90% in the UK over the last century, so the connectivity that Aylesford Habitat Bank creates between these sites is crucial to restoring wetland species.
Due to its proximity to the River Medway, the Habitat Bank’s surrounding areas are at a high risk of flooding. Our habitat creation features flood-resilient vegetation to boost biodiversity and enhance the quality of the soil, thereby bolstering the landscape and providing natural flood risk mitigation. This has the potential to help the local landscape withstand the increased threat of climate-related extreme weather for the local area and generate social value for surrounding communities.
Through our ecologists’ careful habitat creation and enhancement plans, we’re hoping to see local wildlife thrive at Aylesford Habitat Bank, including species such as large garden bumblebee, stag beetle, small emerald butterfly, and natterer’s bat.
Buy BNG Units
Find out the cost and availability of Biodiversity Units from Aylesford Habitat Bank.
