Puddington Habitat Bank
- County
- Devon
- Local planning authority (LPA)
- Mid Devon District Council
- National Character Area (NCA)
- The Culm
- Biodiversity gain sites register number
- BGS-280824001
Biodiversity Units
Medium distinctiveness habitats
- Mixed scrub
- Other neutral grassland
Habitat Bank overview
Our Puddington Habitat Bank covers a twenty-five-acre section of former arable farmland located within a wider mixed farm. We are now restoring the land to mosaic of habitats including scrubland and native species-rich grassland.
To support the landowner’s current farming business, we developed a tailored Habitat Management Plan (HMP) to allow their herd of Devon Ruby Reds to roam and graze the new habitats.
By doing so, we’re enhancing, rather than harming, the land through sensitive traditional management techniques designed to support local biodiversity and provide a much-needed haven for wildlife within the local area.
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
| Neighbouring LPAs |
|---|
|
North Devon District Council
|
|
Teignbridge District Council
|
|
West Devon Borough Council
|
|
Exmoor National Park Authority
|
|
Somerset Council
|
|
Torridge District Council
|
|
Dartmoor National Park Authority
|
|
East Devon District Council
|
| Neighbouring NCAs |
|---|
|
Cornish Killas
|
|
Exmoor
|
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Devon Redlands
|
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South Devon
|
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Dartmoor
|
Our vision
Due to decades of intensive swede farming with fertilisers, the soil was very high in nutrients and biologically depleted – leaving the land ecologically poor.
Since we’ve begun restoring biodiverse habitats, the newly established grassland has become a rich tapestry of wildflowers including species such as yellow-rattle, red clover, and black knapweed. These are just some of a number of species introduced with species-rich hay sourced from a local Culm grassland site.
Already, Puddington Habitat Bank is attracting wildlife from far and wide including large flocks of goldfinch and wintering snipe. As time goes on, the site will continue to improve and become ever richer as new species move in and begin to thrive.
The newly established areas of scrub will provide vital cover and nesting opportunities for small mammals, birds, and invertebrates including the nationally declining yellowhammer and brown hairstreak butterfly, both of which are present locally.
While the management of the landscape will provide tangible gains in ecosystem services to the area, such as cleaner water into the rivers and increased biodiversity within the farmed landscape, it will also help with crop pollination and pest control.
Buy BNG Units
Find out the cost and availability of Biodiversity Units from Puddington Habitat Bank.
