BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN

Biodiversity enhancement and net gain are rising priorities for both business and society. We’re proud to offer a variety of ecosystem services across our UK sites that can help businesses BE nature positive.

WHAT IS BNG?

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development and land management that will leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than before.
As a result, BNG puts nature at the heart of planning by ensuring projects not only replace the biodiversity they are taking from the landscape but add a 10% net gain.

At Belmont, we provide BNG units that make a real difference. Our units are generated from our rewilding project, Watercress Farm in North Somerset enabling regional business owners to meet new planning legislation in five South West LPAs and five NCAs.

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BELMONT BNG UNITS

Our rewilding project, Watercress Farm delivers BNG units and a vast biodiversity uplift through restored wetlands, natural woodland regeneration and wild flowers. These units are registered on the Biodiversity Gain Sites register with reference BGS-200225002.

As a regional provider in the West of England LNRS with multiple types of habitats, we are able to offer a variety of 12 high-quality habitat unit types.

 


VIEW BROCHURE
Scrub and grassland habitat in rewilding project

LPA’s AND NCA’s

 

Our rewilding project, Watercress Farm is situated within:

North Somerset LPA
  1. We are adjacent to 4 other LPAs including Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, Mendip and Sedgemoor LPAs (see map).
Bristol, Avon Valleys and Ridges NCA
  1. We are adjacent to 4 other NCAs including Somerset Levels and Moors, Mendip Hills, Cotswolds and Severn and Avon Vales (see map).

The BNG metric recognises proximity to development sites through a ‘Spatial Risk Multiplier‘. The closer the offset site is to the development, the fewer BNG units are required.


HOW IT WORKS
team looking at maps

HABITAT unit TYPES

Due to the breadth of habitat available within the rewilding project, we can offer 12 different habitat unit types in one place. These range from lowland meadow, mixed scrub, woodland, hedgerow, priority pond, river units and more.

As a responsible landowner, we commit to monitoring the habitat for 30+ years, meaning our BNG units are 100% secure, 3rd party verified and risk-free. With a draft S106 agreement and a 30-year management plan, we can enable early engagement in the planning process.


Why offset offsite?

Genuine biodiversity enhancement is the delivery of nature restoration at a scale that works for our natural world and that can be verified and trusted for the long term.

Habitats and wildlife communities often require connection and scale to be viable and this isn’t possible to deliver on the average development site. We believe that portioning green space for biodiversity into small areas within individual developments and leaving it in the care of people who may not be qualified, is a risk to both biodiversity and the integrity of the developer’s offset.


MORE THAN BNG

For us, BNG is another way for us to deliver on restoration, regeneration and reconnection, ensuring nature recovery is led by experts and has the most impact possible.

We deliver more than a biodiversity uplift. Our BNG units are unique as they also provide powerful reputational and wider community benefits for education, volunteering and nature restoration, that demonstrate commitment to social and environmental responsibility to a developer’s full range of stakeholders.


 

START YOUR BNG JOURNEY

Our units are available to purchase now for projects within five South West LPAs and five South West NCAs.

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“The rewilding project at Belmont Estate is a great example of how a business can provide ecosystem services to help others be nature positive. I had the pleasure of being shown around the rewilding and rewetting site. What a project and a vision for offsetting and biodiversity enhancement.”

RESIDENTIAL LAND & DEVELOPMENT, JLL

Carbon CREDITS

We are working on a range of nature recovery projects to lock away carbon through peatland restoration and natural tree regeneration, plus we’ll soon be offering UK based carbon credits to individuals and businesses looking to lower their carbon footprint and achieve net zero targets by 2030.

As demand for carbon is expected to outreach supply by 2030, priority purchase of our carbon credits will be offered to our corporate partners before being available to others.


Biodiversity UNITS

Restoring and enhancing biodiversity is at the heart of our mission and the need has never been greater.

We’re working on projects to deliver nature restoration at scale, restoring biodiversity through rewilding, rewetting, peatland and woodland restoration for the benefit of climate and the community.

We can offer businesses and individuals with the objective of becoming nature positive, and who share our values and vision, the opportunity to purchase voluntary biodiversity credits, with priority allocation to our partners.


SUPPORT OUR PROJECTS

We are not a broker of nature or carbon solutions. Our nature restoration projects are our own, allowing us to guarantee their values and integrity.

Our land, our projects.

 

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