Hartlepool partners with Environment Bank
The council and the BNG provider are creating a local habitat bank to spur housing growth in the region, providing developers with options to meet environmental planning requirements.
Almost 400 new homes are needed every year in Hartlepool, and the council has opted to pair up with Environment Bank who will fund, establish, and monitor the long-term management of Hartlepool Habitat Bank.
Located in the village of Hart, the bank spans nearly 35 acres of what was previously low-productivity farmland.
Habitats will include wildflower meadows, native hedgerows, and mixed scrubland, supporting a variety of native species, such as lapwings, skylarks, great crested newts, brown hares, and pollinating butterflies.
Environment Bank will also be creating an orchard and establishing seven new ponds amongst the grassland to increase the resilience of the land and support natural flood management.
Developers including Bellway, Miller Homes, Persimmon, and Keepmoat operate in the area and with the recent Planning and Infrastructure Bill laying out plans to further accelerate development, the council is hoping the partnership will show how local planning authorities can work alongside private companies to provide sustainability options for housebuilders.
Catherine Spitzer, chief executive of Environment Bank said: “Hartlepool Council’s approach demonstrates that meeting housing targets and investing in nature can, and should, go hand in hand.
“While developers are required to prioritise on-site BNG, in many cases, space constraints make this unfeasible and ineffective, particularly when building at scale.
“By partnering with Hartlepool Council to create a local BNG Habitat Bank, we’ve generated Biodiversity Units that developers can purchase to meet their BNG obligations off-site.
“Having a BNG provision within the LPA area means developers won’t need to source Biodiversity Units that aren’t local – which would be more expensive for the developer– and this ensures that biodiversity gains are delivered close to where the impact occurs.”
Philip Timmins, principal estates surveyor, Hartlepool Borough Council said: “Ensuring a ready supply of local off-site Biodiversity Units is crucial for unlocking development in Hartlepool.
“Partnering with Environment Bank allows us to meet our housing growth targets while delivering significant environmental benefits – without adding administrative burdens to the council.”
Thomas Dodds, Ecologist, Environment Bank commented: “Hartlepool Habitat Bank will provide great opportunities for pollenating butterflies and nesting birds.
“It will also add to the unique mix of biodiversity in Teesside and bring nature closer to those in the community while also retaining the character of the land.”
