Augean has officially launched its first Habitat Bank at the Thornhaugh and Cooks Hole site, marking a major milestone in supporting nature-positive development across the UK. Following the successful grant of planning consent, and with all legal agreements secured and conditions discharged, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units are now available for immediate allocation.
Designed to help developers meet the UK’s mandatory 10% BNG requirement, Augean’s habitat bank offers a fully compliant, low-risk solution. All units are created, managed, and monitored in line with the Environment Act 2021 and the DEFRA biodiversity metric, ensuring robust, measurable environmental outcomes.
🌳 Strategic Location, Regional Impact
Situated within the Rockingham Forest landscape, the habitat bank enables off-site BNG delivery across Peterborough, Cambridge, Lincolnshire, and Northampton. This allows developers to secure units within the same National Character Area where required, supporting planning compliance while enhancing biodiversity at a landscape scale.
📊 What Sets Augean’s Habitat Bank Apart?
- Fully compliant with statutory BNG requirements and registered with Natural England
- Immediate availability of high-quality habitat units across multiple habitat types
- Transparent pricing and a fast route to planning approval
- Suitable for housing, commercial, and infrastructure projects
- Secured 30-year habitat management and monitoring commitments
🌼 Diverse Habitats, Measurable Gains
The site delivers a range of habitat types including neutral grassland, calcareous grassland, mixed scrub, broadleaved woodland, and open mosaic habitats—each contributing to meaningful biodiversity uplift and long-term ecological resilience
📦 What Developers Receive
Each BNG unit purchase includes a comprehensive package designed to simplify planning and compliance:
- Baseline and post-intervention biodiversity metric calculations
- Legal agreements (Section 106)
- 30-year habitat management and monitoring plan
- Evidence pack for planning submission
- Ongoing annual monitoring reports
💬 Peter Oldfield, Head of Planning and Permitting at Augean, said:
“We are proud to support nature-positive development through the provision of surplus BNG units to the market. The launch of this habitat bank reflects the significant biodiversity gains delivered by Augean’s post-restoration developments.”
As biodiversity requirements become increasingly central to the planning process, Augean’s Habitat Bank provides a practical, scalable solution—helping developers deliver projects while contributing to lasting environmental value.
📩 For BNG sales enquiries: bngsales@augean.co.uk