Broadfield and Vortal Homes have secured the first Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) habitat bank in Dorset that will unlock residential development whilst creating and preserving nature-rich environments in the county.
Site promoters Vortal Homes and Broadfield, following negotiation with Dorset Council, have secured permission for a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) for 16 hectares of land at Purns Mill, Gillingham, Dorset, to be offered as a BNG off-site habitat bank.
Purns Mill is a mix of livestock grazing and hedging with two chalk streams. The HMMP will see the landowner create species-rich grasslands, ponds, mixed scrubland and improvements to hedging that will benefit wildlife whilst continuing to operate as a working farm.
BNG units will be sold by Vortal Homes to residential developers who are unable to meet the required BNG improvements on their own development sites.
The Residential Development and Planning Law teams at Broadfield created the legal agreements that underpin this BNG habitat bank and will draft the BNG agreements sold by Vortal Homes to residential developers.
The Broadfield team was led by Legal Director Chris Holmes (Planning) and Of Counsel Gemma Bullard (Property).
“This is an important milestone for Vortal Homes, Dorset Council and Purns Mill, helping unlock much-needed new homes in the county. It is also an important milestone for Broadfield, negotiating a template agreement that can be used for similar future sites across Dorset. We look forward to continuing to work with Vortal Homes as it sells on BNG units to residential developers.”
Chris Holmes
Legal Director
“This is a hugely important agreement for us and Dorset Council and we are enormously grateful to Gemma and Chris at Broadfield for their sustained effort and support. It would not have been possible without them. We now look forward to creating the BNG units for developers that will see the delivery of new homes and the significant improvements to wildlife habitats at Purns Mill.”
David Heron
Director at Vortal Homes
