Former Northumberland mine to become habitat bank
Advance Green Futures, the ESG-arm of the council’s Advance division, is repurposing Potland Burn’s 660 acres into a BNG opportunity for developers.
Located north of Ashington, the nature recovery and biodiversity project will focus on creating a mosaic of habitats, including grassland, scrub, and ponds, often found on brownfield sites.
Initial works are underway, focusing on land preparation and habitat creation.
In addition to habitat creation, advanced ecological monitoring technology will be used to track species recovery, habitat health, and environmental changes across the site.
The project forms the first phase of Advance Green Futures, a county-wide programme supporting landscape-scale nature recovery.
William Thompson, director of governance and sustainability at Advance Northumberland, said: “Potland Burn has incredible potential to deliver large-scale, meaningful environmental regeneration.
“As a regeneration organisation, the start of onsite works is a significant milestone in a carefully planned programme that will restore habitats, enhance biodiversity, and create a landscape that builds a better future for all.
“Under the national biodiversity net gain rules introduced in 2024, most new developments must deliver at least a 10% improvement in biodiversity.
“Habitat banks like Potland Burn allow North East developers to meet these requirements while funding long-term environmental restoration.”
Ann Deary-Francis, head of ecology at Advance Northumberland, said: “We hope to attract a wide range of species to Potland Burn by creating a diverse mix of habitats that will support the smallest invertebrate to large mammals and birds of prey.
“The habitat bank is a real example of how regeneration can deliver multiple benefits such as restoring landscapes, attracting wildlife, supporting sustainable and affordable development, and opening new opportunities in emerging environmental markets.”
