Gedgrave Estate
Producing a robust Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessment and a 30-year Habitat Management and Maintenance (HMMP) strategy for a prospective landbank.
The Client/Sector
Ecology by Design were approached by the Gedgrave Estate, a historic Suffolk estate owned and managed by generations of the same family since the 1930s. The approximately 70 hectare estate is characterised by predominantly agricultural land-use (comprising a mix of arable fields and improved and semi-improved cattle-grazed grasslands) alongside parcels of semi-natural/ancient wet woodland and lowland mixed deciduous woodland. Significant portions of the estate are low-lying and located within the floodplain of the River Butley, however, a network of wet ditches were established at the site in the early/mid 20th-century to drain the land for grazing purposes.
The Brief
Ecology by Design were commissioned to carry out a BNG assessment and subsequent HMMP for the Estate, who were seeking to create a landbank and sell units to the BNG market. This included quantifying the baseline value of the site, identifying possible habitat creation/enhancement measures that could be implemented (and calculating their unit uplift) and then producing a HMMP based on the approach agreed with the Estate.
Work Undertaken
Quantifying the BNG Baseline of the Estate
Our team conducted detailed ecological surveys of the site to establish baseline habitat conditions. This included classifying each habitat parcel using UK Habitat Classification methodology and then assessing each parcel’s condition using DEFRA guidance, alongside collection of soil samples from arable and grassland parcels for analysis. This was input into the DEFRA metric which identified the existing baseline of the Estate.
Identifying and Quantifying BNG Opportunities
Using data from the baseline ecological surveys and consultation of various resources, such as the local records centre, the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, MAGIC Maps and the British Geological Survey, our team identified habitat enhancement or creation opportunities for each parcel across the site. The DEFRA metric was used to calculate the unit uplift of various scenarios which the Estate were then able to review.
Collaboration with the Estate
Collaboration with the Estate was integral to the success of the project. Significant weight was given to their knowledge and insight as long-term custodians of their land. Their multi-generational experience of managing the Estate proved invaluable in identifying practical and meaningful ecological opportunities. This collaborative approach informed by our robust assessment supported informed decision-making on habitat creation and enhancement options, balancing costs and practicalities of management interventions against the anticipated biodiversity unit uplift.
Production of a HMMP
Following a robust ecological assessment and engagement with the Estate, a finalised habitat creation and enhancement strategy was agreed. Ecology by Design subsequently produced a HMMP setting out the prescribed management and monitoring approach for the next 30 years, to achieve the targeted habitat types and conditions.
Outcomes
The resulting HMMP sets out an ambitious yet deliverable 30-year strategy for habitat management across the estate, achieving an uplift of 140 habitat units and 10 watercourse units. Various measures are proposed to achieve this, such as enhancement of existing woodlands, creation of wildflower meadows and re-wetting low-lying fields to restore historically present floodplain grazing marsh (a Priority Habitat). At the time of writing, the Estate is progressing through the legal process to register the landbank on the Biodiversity Gain Register, with habitat creation and enhancement works anticipated to commence in late 2026/early 2027.
Through a combination of robust ecological survey work, evidence-based assessment, and close stakeholder collaboration, our team has delivered an HMMP that will secure meaningful landscape-scale enhancements. In parallel, the strategy will provide the client with a sustainable longterm income stream once the landbank is registered for the sale of biodiversity units.
For further information contact:
Oli Bulpitt BSc (Hons) ACIEEM
Senior Ecologist, Ecology by Design Ltd
Tel: 01865 893346
Mob: 07375 387743
