Cockermouth Habitat Bank

County: Cumbria
Local planning authority (LPA): Cumberland Council
National Character Area (NCA): West Cumbria Coastal Plain
Biodiversity gain sites register number: BGS-110326001

Birds-eye render of Cockermouth Habitat Bank before restoration

Very high distinctiveness habitats

Lowland meadows

High distinctiveness habitats

Ponds (priority habitat)

Medium distinctiveness habitats

Mixed scrub
Other woodland; broadleaved
Other woodland; mixed
Rural tree

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Habitat Bank overview

On the edge of the Lake District National Park, our ecologists are transforming more than seventy acres of farmland, including more than a dozen sheep pasture fields, into a biodiverse space where key habitats will be able to flourish.

Our work will play an effective role in building stronger ecological connections across the Cumbrian landscape, with the neighbouring River Derwent and Tributaries Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) connecting the Habitat Bank to ancient woodland at Oakhurst Wood and the Sandybeck Meadow National Nature Reserve (NNR).

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
Lake District National Park Authority
Westmorland and Furness Council
Northumberland County Council
Northumberland National Park Authority

Neighbouring NCAs
South Cumbria Low Fells
Solway Basin
Cumbria High Fells
Morecambe Bay Limestones

Our vision

With the Lake District High Fells Special Area of Conservation (SAC) nearby, Cockermouth Habitat Bank has been strategically placed to have a large-scale positive impact on nature, supporting Cumbria biodiversity priorities and green infrastructure in Allerdale.

The entire south side of the Habitat Bank is bordered by its namesake watercourse, the River Cocker which flows into the River Derwent SSSI. By halting the use of intensive fertiliser across the Habitat Bank, we’ve dramatically reduced the runoff pollution going into the river, helping to restore the SSSI in line with local nature targets.

The new habitats we’re creating are designed to help improve the health and resilience of the soil, with the potential to make the fields far more capable of natural flood mitigation. Parts of the Habitat Bank fall into flood zones, so these enhancements stand to benefit the surrounding area.

We’re hoping to support a number of notable species native to the area, including otter, red squirrel, and soprano pipistrelle bat. With two public footpaths nearby, we’re excited for local people to be able to enjoy the Habitat Bank and witness an increasing abundance of wildlife over the years.