Shaw Habitat Bank

County: Greater Manchester
Local planning authority (LPA): Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
National Character Area (NCA): Southern Pennines

Birds-eye render of Shaw Habitat Bank before restoration

Biodiversity Units available:

Very high distinctiveness habitats

Lowland meadows

High distinctiveness habitats

Ponds (priority habitat)

Medium distinctiveness habitats

Rural trees

Buy Biodiversity Units

Habitat Bank overview

Our ecologists have been hard at work transforming an area of grade 4 pony-grazed farmland into a Habitat Bank since spring 2024.

Less than 5 miles from Oldham, the Habitat Bank sits beside the Crompton Moor Site of Biological Importance (SBI) – providing a valuable opportunity to connect habitats across the 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.

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 Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council LPA and the Southern Pennines NCA.

Coverage

Adjacent LPAs	Adjacent NCAs
Kirklees Council	Dark Peak
Manchester City Council	Yorkshire Dales
Rochdale Borough Council	Lancashire Valleys
Tameside Borough Council	Pennine Dales Fringe
Calderdale Borough Council	Lancashire Coal Measures
Peak District National Park Authority	Manchester Pennine Fringe
	Yorkshire Southern Pennine Fringe
	Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire & Yorkshire Coalfield

Our vision

Local priority habitats for the area include ponds, wetlands, and meadows – so the Habitat Bank we’ve been creating will play an essential role in developing these within the area.

The site is also incredibly well placed to support neighbouring habitats, such as the River Beal which runs nearby. We anticipate a number of species will be able to find suitable habitats here, allowing their numbers to grow in abundance – this includes great crested newts, otters, curlews, barn owls, and more.

We are supporting the landowner with sustainable land management training so they can play a key role in helping the Habitat Bank to flourish on their land for the next three decades.