BIODIVERSITY Net Gain
Off-site BNG units from a nature recovery project
Eight years ago, Watercress Farm was a drained, largely silent arable land. Today it's a 140-acre mosaic of wetlands, meadows, reedbed and woodland and the source of 372 registered BNG units that developers across the Southwest can use to meet their planning obligations.
BNG Basics
Under the Environment Act 2021, most new developments in England must achieve a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain as a condition of planning approval.
Where that can't be delivered on-site, developers can purchase off-site units from a registered habitat bank. Our units are registered on DEFRA's Biodiversity Gain Sites register (BGS-200225002), legally secured under a Conservation Covenant, and subject to 30 years of expert habitat management.
Why Watercress Farm?
372 units, 12 habitat types, all on one site.
Watercress Farm's rewilded landscape is a rare mix of river, reedbed, meadow, woodland, orchard and more. We can match a wide range of development needs from a single, verified site.
Habitat types include priority river and pond, reedbed, lowland meadow, traditional orchard, mixed scrub, mixed deciduous woodland, and species-rich hedgerow.
The site sits within North Somerset LPA, adjacent to Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, Mendip and Sedgemoor, four LPAs in total. It also spans the Bristol, Avon Valley Ridges NCA, adjacent to Somerset Levels and Moors, Mendip Hills, Cotswolds, and Severn and Avon Vales.
View LPA map(opens in new tab) View NPA map(opens in new tab)
How it Works
Step 1 - Tell us about your project
Fill in our short form with your project details and BNG requirements. We'll review your ecology report and come back to you quickly.
Step 2 - We send you a proposal
You'll receive unit availability, pricing, and suggested next steps usually within a couple of working days.
Step 3 - Secure your units
Either in full or with a deposit to secure the units you need. We will issue a purchase agreement to confirm the reservation.
Step 4 - Allocation and certificate
Once planning is approved and full payment is made, we allocate the units on the register to your development and issue your BNG certificate. We handle all long-term monitoring, management and compliance reporting from there.
