Kingwell (Aubrey) Limited (Kingwell) is delighted to announce the Keyhaven Natural Capital Scheme to be delivered on its 605-acre farm at Keyhaven, near Milford on Sea, Hampshire.

Keyhaven sits between 80 acres of reed marshes at the mouth of the Avon Water and 500 acres of Keyhaven Saltmarsh at Hurst Point. Once established, the land being turned over from farming to nature will connect a Site of Special Scientific Interest, Ramsar site and Special Conservation Areas to create a 1,000-acre ‘reserve’ west of the Pennington Marshes.

Kingwell has recently signed two Section 106 legal agreements with both Local Planning Authorities (LPA) — New Forest District Council (NFDC) and New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) — to create a stacked Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and Nitrate Mitigation scheme supported by Natural England.

Developed in partnership with NFDC, NFNPA and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (the Trust), BNG habitats will be brought forward in phases to respond to market demand, with each area being registered on the national BNG register.

Developers now must ensure wildlife is left in a better state than it was before any development takes place, which requires a 10% improvement or ‘Biodiversity Net Gain’. The habitat creation required to achieve 10% net gain can be undertaken within the applicant’s development site or BNG units can be purchased offsite from schemes such as the Keyhaven Natural Capital Scheme, should provision for onsite mitigation not be feasible.  In addition, new development must also ensure it does not exacerbate water quality issues in the Solent’s internationally designated sites and the Keyhaven Natural Capital Scheme will play a key role in protecting water quality through also providing Nitrate Mitigation credits. 

To be managed by the Trust, the scheme will generate circa 440 BNG units and circa 3,950 Nitrate Mitigation credits to the highest integrity with multiple co-benefits over the course of the schemes, the aim being to deliver a genuine uplift in biodiversity and mitigating water quality impacts from development sites within the New Forest District and National Park areas and the New Forest National Character Area. The scheme will also create extensive areas of coastal grassland that will support coastal birds as well as areas of species rich grassland which will support our rapidly declining insect populations.

Alistair Emery, founder of Kingwell, comments: “This is an ambitious project requiring the collaboration of very different organisations within the private sector, local government and NGOs. It has taken considerable time to pull together in order to meet the interests of the various parties involved, whilst also ensuring we can respond to the market. This has resulted in a unique phased approach to habitat creation delivered on a strategic scale to meet both the local needs for development and improved connectivity for biodiversity. I can’t thank everyone enough who has helped to make this project happen, with special thanks to John Durnell, Sarah Boswell and Deborah Whitfield of the Trust, Sarah Humphreys of Trethowans and the LPA officers at NFDC & NFNPA.”

Ed Harden, Natural Capital adviser to Kingwell, adds: “Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust have always been a key part of this project. Their long-term involvement provides the highest possible integrity for how units and credits will be created and managed over the course of each scheme, ensuring the realisation of other co-benefits on site, such as projects for specific species like Brent Geese and monitoring species recovery through voluntary conservation projects.”

John Durnell, Director of Nature-Based Solutions at Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, comments: “This scheme shows how a commercial landowner can be incentivised to roll out a nature-based natural capital solution at scale. This is crucial because if we can make this model work, it could bring huge benefits for nature recovery across the country as it would demonstrate that there are models available for the private sector to collaborate with environmental NGOs to really make a tangible difference in protecting wildlife and helping to restore nature.”

David Bence, Chair of the New Forest National Park Authority says: “This is a strategically important site - located between the New Forest and Solent - and presents a great opportunity for nature recovery at scale. We have engaged constructively with the landowner, the Wildlife Trust and New Forest District Council to bring forward these positive proposals. The environmental enhancements at Keyhaven will support the wider management of this important area of the New Forest for nature recovery.”  

Councillor Derek Tipp, Economy and Planning Portfolio Holder of NFDC says: “This partnership demonstrates our commitment to sustainable development and environmental stewardship within the district. The Keyhaven Natural Capital Scheme will not only enhance biodiversity and mitigate environmental impact but also set a positive example of collaboration between local authorities, private landowners, and conservation organisations. It’s a significant step towards ensuring the long-term protection of our natural environment."

For more information or to buy BNG units or Nitrate Mitigation credits, please visit www.kingwell.co.uk or call 020 3916 6000.