Birds-eye render of Cockermouth Habitat Bank with habitats restored, including new meadows, ponds, scrub, lowland heath, grassland, and woodland
Birds-eye render of Mawgan Habitat Bank before restoration

Biodiversity Units

Very high distinctiveness habitats

  • Lowland meadows

High distinctiveness habitats

  • Lowland heath
  • Ponds (priority habitat)

Medium distinctiveness habitats

  • Mixed scrub
  • Other neutral grassland
  • Other woodland; broadleaved

Ready to purchase now, subject to availability.


Habitat Bank overview

Sat in the heart of The Lizard peninsula between the Helford River and Goonhilly Downs, Mawgan Habitat Bank has been perfectly placed to connect ecosystems across the Cornish landscape. With sweeping views across well over 200 acres, this is one of our largest nature projects in England.

Using the existing arable fields and grazed pasture and heath, our ecologists are creating and enhancing key habitats to increase biodiversity on a vast scale.

We’ve carefully designed our habitats to support the neighbouring Trelowarren Woods County Wildlife Site (CWS) – an area of ancient woodland featuring the tranquil Mawgan Creek which runs into the Helford River coastal inlet – as well as The Lizard and Fal & Helford Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) nearby.

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.

Coverage

Biodiversity Units from Mawgan Habitat Bank offer an effective local off-site BNG solution for the Mid Cornwall Council LPA area and The Lizard NCA. They also provide adjacent coverage to the LPAs and NCAs listed below.

Adjacent LPAsAdjacent NCAs
Plymouth City CouncilCornish Killas
Torridge District Council
South Hams District Council
West Devon Borough Council

Our vision

Since 2023, we’ve been working in collaboration with local landowners to create a site that’s carefully designed to preserve the characteristic Cornish landscape and its heritage while also achieving the greatest uplift in local biodiversity.

Nearby is Halliggye Fogou, an underground Iron Age tunnel and heritage site, which is home to several bat species that Mawgan Habitat Bank is helping to support, including hibernating greater horseshoe bats.

The new habitats are benefiting a variety of notable birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects – including skylark, cuckoo, fieldfare, brambling, bullfinch, spotted flycatcher, slow worm, unarmed stick insect, pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly and hedgehog.

Our work is also designed to help a number of endangered plants including dwarf rush, pale dog-violet, and Cornish heath, the last of which is nationally rare, with nearly all of Britain’s Cornish heath being found on The Lizard.

A local grazier’s native cattle are being used to gently graze the habitats which will not only encourage a more diverse range of wildflowers to grow throughout the grassland but also support sustainable local farming.


Buy BNG Units

Find out the cost and availability of Biodiversity Units from Mawgan Habitat Bank. 


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