Most planning consents in the UK carry obligations to create public open space and landscape planting, increasingly with native vegetation. They nearly always start out well, but then so often decline though neglect and a lack of resources to impose the necessary management: we have all seen the sad and degraded bits of land that result. Yet these same areas have the potential to do more for biodiversity and nature conservation than anything else in development planning.

Betts Estates can make all the difference. We have the depth of scientific knowledge through our academic and practical work on ecological communities, and the experience over a quarter of a century of managing sites, successfully to maintain and enhance biodiversity. The benefits to clients and planners in Corporate Social Responsibility, and to the environment in sustaining, protecting and enhancing biodiversity are obvious.

Many companies and organisations develop land or subscribe to policies that require their biodiversity “impact footprint” to be mitigated or offset in some way. This may be as a result of a new development or be part of an Environmental Management System, the obligations of Environmental Audit, an agreed Corporate Environmental Policy or Standard, or compliance with national and European regulations and legislation. Such offsetting is easy to recommend but not quite so simple to deliver. We can help:

• Working with your development team or environmental auditors, we can assist you with the calculation of the biodiversity impacts of your project or operations, applying objective science to make it accurate and appropriate, as well as conforming with regulatory best practice.

• Because we have a dedicated team of ecological scientists, already manage land of many types and have over thirty years’ experience, we can take over your obligations and responsibilities with confidence, so you can carry on with your usual work with one less worry.

• For offsetting, compensation and mitigation of biodiversity impacts, as well as contributions to biodiversity enhancement, we can design and manage schemes for you on your site or remotely through our Biodiversity Estates option.

On Site Biodiversity Management and Monitoring
Usually following initial discussions with your land department or environmental policy manager, we will agree a clear, scientifically sound strategy to meet set biodiversity targets and benchmarks for your site(s) or projects. This will be manifested as a formal written Biodiversity Management Plan which is then implemented, regularly reviewed, and monitored against performance criteria.

Biodiversity Estates
It is not uncommon for a biodiversity impact offset to be needed that cannot be met on your own land because of lack of space: planting trees for carbon offset is a frequent example (but note that the scientific case for carbon offset tree planting is complex), or because the available land would not be viable in ecological isolation. We already hold ecological estates of land and can acquire, create, enhance and manage in perpetuity specific habitats to match your needs, making ecosystem choices that reflect your particular biodiversity footprint or contribute to specific conservation targets. These may be woodland, heathland, grassland, wetland or whatever is required. By aggregating requirements for small offset land parcels, we can deliver greater ecological benefits through economies of scale. And, because we are managing land for ecological excellence as part of our day-to-day work, we can offer an economic and cost effective package.

Please phone or email nature@bettsecology.com for a fast, friendly and professional response.