Dersingham Habitat Bank

County: Norfolk
Local planning authority (LPA): Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk
National Character Area (NCA): North West Norfolk

Birds-eye render of Dersingham Habitat Bank before restoration

Biodiversity Units available:

High distinctiveness habitats

Reedbeds
Ponds (priority habitat)

Medium distinctiveness habitats

Mixed scrub
Other neutral grassland

Buy Biodiversity Units

Habitat Bank overview

Our 20-hectare Dersingham Habitat Bank – which sits between the village of Dersingham and the Norfolk coast – has been created to restore local ecosystems and increase the resilience of the land against extreme weather.

We are working to build a nurturing environment for native wildlife and provide a home for rare and threatened species including internationally protected migratory birds.

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 Borough Council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk LPA and the North West Norfolk NCA.

Coverage

Adjacent LPAs	Adjacent NCAs
Breckland Council	The Fens
West Suffolk Council	The Brecks
Fenland District Council	Mid Norfolk
North Norfolk District Council	North Norfolk Coast
South Holland District Council	Central North Norfolk
East Cambridgeshire District Council

Our vision

Dersingham Habitat Bank, originally made up of arable field parcels and grassland, is being transformed into a biodiverse space that benefits existing wildlife and connects habitats within the local area.

A diverse mix of habitats are being created; this includes scrubland, reedbeds and ponds. We predict to see an abundance of key wildlife emerging, including wetland-based birds such as terns, gulls, waders, and birds of prey. With the Dersingham Bog Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – a notable wetland – on the doorstep, our qualified ecologists hope to build habitats to support the nationally rare sundew plant, as well as multiple mosses and lichens.

With unprecedented climate risks, this Habitat Bank is designed with increased land resilience in mind – helping the area to become better able to withstand floods and droughts. The wider ecosystem benefits we’re aiming to achieve include improving the health and quality of soil and water, provide better flood mitigation, and increase the land’s carbon storage.