Balancing Growth and Green: Prioritising Nature While Developing Sustainable Farm Buildings

  Nathan Roberts

PEA and BNG assessment

Client: Chris Bristow of Greave House Farm Trust 

 

 

 

 

 

Brief:

This project saw our ecologists carrying out a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) baseline assessment on a multi-use farm in Stocksbridge, Sheffield, which specialises in offering work and community engagement for the most vulnerable in society. The basis of this work informed a planning application to build a barn shed for storage purposes and volunteering/community use, with an attached greenhouse used for cultivating organic produce. Recommendations were made by our ecologists to ensure that any and all potential disturbances to wildlife and protected species in particular were avoided over the course of the development, resulting in a win for people and nature alike.

 

 

Areas of work

Ecology; Sustainable Agriculture; Biodiversity Net Gain

Stakeholders

Farmers

 

Opportunities

  • To work alongside and support farmers integrating sustainability and community engagement into their agricultural practices;
  • To protect ecologically important flora and fauna from the risks associated with construction and development;
  • To provide ecological expertise, experience, and knowledge local to the Peak District. The site's placement near the national park meant there were broader ecological implications of development on the surrounding landscape and wildlife; and
  • To aid in converting low-grade, chemically modified soil into a site of sustainable and organic food production.

Challenges

  • The site's close proximity to the Dark Peak SSSI and other designated sites brought with it the challenge of considering the impact of site construction upon nearby priority habitats, and the wildlife which relies upon them;
  • Development plans included the removal of multiple historically coppiced trees on site. Because of the comparatively high ecological value of mature trees compared to the surrounding improved grassland, extreme care and attention had to be given when surveying these trees for their potential use by protected species; and
  • Protecting and providing what's best for nature while also supporting the client's progressive vision for agriculture and community engagement.

 

 

 

 Outcomes

The Preliminary Ecological Appraisal carried out by our ecologists revealed the potential disturbance the proposed development could have had on local populations of protected species including Great Crested Newts, breeding birds, badgers, and hedgehogs. Though evidence of these species was not found on our survey, it was found that the habitats present on site, specifically the scrub and trees, offered great potential for foraging, habitation, and shelter for a variety of fauna, which we know from records have been spotted in the local area. As a result, high level recommendations were made to be followed during the development process which ensured there was no disturbance or harm to wildlife. These included carrying out works outside of periods of high ecological activity, making sure an Ecological Clerk of Works gave the go-ahead on site, and making sure construction materials and equipment were used and stored with consideration for protected species. Our work ultimately helped the client rest assured that they were doing the best by wildlife and that, with our recommendations, they were going to be successful in their planning application.