Meadfleet’s Operations Director, Samantha Hursey, comments on the need to engage customers in new biodiversity regulations:
The Environment Act 2021 required that all future developments produce at least a 10% uplift in biodiversity which will become mandatory in November this year. The consultations, guidance and information provided to date has raised many questions for debate, with panels of experts from different organisations coming together to discuss their views on the new legislation.
From attending BNG conferences, symposiums, and webinars this year there is a key area that I believe will underpin the success of Biodiversity Net Gain to the future. That is the need to change the hearts and minds of new homeowners and wider communities to ensure a positive reaction to the implementation of more diverse habitats and their management requirements.
Historically, open spaces have contained formally mown grass areas and ornamental shrub beds but over recent years there has been the addition of features such as wildflower meadows and wildlife friendly SuDS. These require a different management approach to ensure they successfully achieve their intended purpose however this can lead to resident queries as to why areas have been left longer than more formal areas.
Education and engagement to create an understanding of the wide range of benefits is crucial to alter perceptions of what open spaces should look like enabling amenity and biodiversity to be delivered and embraced to the future. Developers and Management Companies together should consider demonstrating how biodiverse open spaces will enrich the living environment to prospective purchasers from the beginning of the customer journey. The broader benefits of the new legislation should also be conveyed, including the positive impact meadows, hedgerows and trees offer in the fight against climate change plus the benefits of nature to mental health.
Meadfleet operate across a broad geographical location with a demographically diverse customer base. In 2019 we launched our Bee Friendly campaign in conjunction with Buglife to create extensive new pollinator habitats across our open spaces. We use this, alongside other initiatives, to engage and educate our 40,000+ customers and the communities in which we work. Activities include:
- Customer newsletters throughout the year promoting the positive benefits of biodiversity.
- Giveaways of wildflower seeds, bee hotels and wildlife gardening packs to customers, communities, and schools.
- School talks and planting days to inspire future generations.
- Walks led by our in-house ecologists to demonstrate the importance of wildlife habitats in urban areas.
- Free wildlife resources and activities for all on our website.
- Development specific wildlife leaflets provided for potential purchasers.
Below are some images of what BNG delivery looks like on Meadfleet developments.
I am confident that with careful consideration of the new legislation and how this will impact all stakeholders, Biodiversity Net Gain will have wide-reaching benefits and make residential developments more enriched areas for local communities and wildlife to thrive.
Samantha Hursey
Operations Director
MSC in Ecology & Conservation
To learn how Meadfleet can manage Biodiversity Net Gain on your open spaces, please get in touch:
enquiries(Replace this parenthesis with the @ sign)meadfleet.co.uk | 01438 890780 | www.meadfleet.co.uk | www.meadfleet.co.uk/managingbiodiversitynetgain