A DEVELOPER is supporting a project aimed at boosting wildlife levels in Warwickshire.
AC Lloyd, which is based at Tachbrook Park, has secured several biodiversity offsetting units from the Alscot Estate in Stratford.
The units are designed to compensate for the environmental impact of construction developments elsewhere – in this case, the firm’s 50-home Mallory Gardens development at Bishop’s Tachbrook.
The agreement is part of a deal – called the Alscot Biodiversity Project – one of the first ventures of its kind in the UK.
The project aims to increase the land’s biodiversity by restoring existing meadows to neutral grasslands with encouragement from certain types of flora.
Managing director Alistair Clark said: “It is important much needed housing developments cater for the loss of biodiversity, some of the deficiency has been mitigated on site, however, the shortfall will take place by way of improvements to natural grass land at Alscot.
“Protecting the environment forms a core part of every development that we build so we are delighted to be able to play our part in helping to enhance biodiversity in the countryside.”
John Gregory, spokesman for law firm Wright Hassall which represented AC Lloyd on the transaction, said the agreement was a new way of approaching biodiversity offsetting.
He added: “Traditionally, biodiversity offsetting has been done through offsetting schemes set up by developers or financial payments made directly to the council, however, developers do also have the ability to directly approach third parties whose land would benefit, as we have seen with AC Lloyd.
“As securing biodiversity net gain in relation to developments becomes ever more important with the government looking to set nature targets, it was refreshing to be involved in a relatively new way of dealing with biodiversity offsetting.”
