How does a development create a better habitat for wildlife?

As you will have seen, Bargate Homes is committed to creating a new place in Overton which delivers not just new homes, but also considers its environmental footprint. We are keen, as a developer, to see a better balance when it comes to approaching new developments and creating a legacy both new residents and wildlife can benefit from. But how can we do this? Our approach is about looking at what habitats the site supports at the moment, then maintaining and enhancing these – ensuring development fits around them rather than the other way round.

First, a bit about the existing site.

Located to the south-west of Overton, the site we are promoting is currently covered by 9.4 hectares of arable farmland. Farmland is not a rich wildlife habitat - intensive agricultural techniques such as pesticides and fertilizers are there to manage the land to grow food. Nature does have a part to play and there are several hedgerows and trees on site, which is where we see most of the wildlife habitats clustered. These are difficult to replace, so we’ll want to enhance and retain these and then build a supporting structure around them, designed to create fil habitats and not just islands.

As well as retaining and enhancing existing habitats, we will be creating new habitats and environmental spaces across the site, which link these hedgerows, trees and areas of interest into a green network for wildlife to use. For example, along the western and southern boundaries of the site we will plant new broadleaved trees which will provide habitats for a variety of animal species, as well as softening the visual impact of the proposals. We’ve adopted a range of similar initiatives where we can provide much needed supporting infrastructure for residents in a way that benefits the environment.

Forming part of this the centre of the site will be a new, native species rich hedgerow, providing habitats for local species of animals, birds and insects as well as an attractive visual buffer between the two parts of the development.

Two new ponds will be added in the north and centre of the site, providing wetland habitats and an attractive visual component to the new neighbourhood. These are new habitats. They will also serve as part of a sustainable urban drainage system, to help manage rainfall. A long stretch of grassland will fill the site from the northern pond to the central one, with longer grasses to the north and south of the site. These will, in time, create a rich web of local wildlife where smaller insects support larger, more visible wildlife such as birds.