this post was submitted on 15 Feb 2025
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UK Nature and Environment

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To most people driving through the waterlogged fields of West Sussex, a patch of muddy land dotted with scrubby trees would not warrant a second glance. But this former farmland is being given a new lease of life as part of a government scheme to boost wildlife.

Ardingly habitat bank is one of the pilot sites for the biodiversity net gain (BNG) scheme. Under legislation that came into force in February 2024, new roads, houses and other building projects must achieve a 10% net gain in biodiversity if nature is damaged on a site. So if a forest is bulldozed to make way for a block of flats, the developer must recreate a similar habitat, plus 10%.

But there are concerns the policy may not achieve what it promised. One year in, an assessment suggests it has so far delivered less than half the minimum amount of habitat expected. Can it be made to work?

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