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 before restoration

Biodiversity Units available:

Very high distinctiveness habitats

Lowland meadows

High distinctiveness habitats

Ponds (priority habitat)
Floodplain wetland mosaic and CFGM

Medium distinctiveness habitats

Mixed scrub
Other neutral grassland
Species-rich native hedgerow

Buy Biodiversity Units

Habitat Bank overview

We’re transforming more than 30 hectares 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.

Biodiversity Units from this Habitat Bank are ready to purchase now, subject to availability. Provided alongside expert planning support, these Biodiversity Units offer an effective local off-site BNG solution for the West Oxfordshire LPA and the Cotswolds NCA.

Coverage

Adjacent LPAs	Adjacent NCAs
Cherwell District Council	Avon Vales
Cotswold District Council	Mendip Hills
Stratford-on-Avon District Council	Dunsmore and Feldon
Vale of White Horse District Council	Severn and Avon Vales
	Upper Thames Clay Vales
	Northamptonshire Uplands
	Yardley-Whittlewood Ridge
	Bristol, Avon Valleys and Ridges
	Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands

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.