Major new 50-acre West Midlands nature recovery site opens to restore wildlife and landscapes
New 50-acre habitat bank launched near Stafford to support West Midlands nature recovery
A new 50-acre habitat bank has been launched near Eccleshall, just outside Stafford and around 30 miles north of Birmingham, to help boost biodiversity and connect key nature sites across the West Midlands.
Environment Bank, an off-site Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) provider, has opened the Eccleshall Habitat Bank as part of its growing national network of nature recovery sites. It is the company’s sixth habitat bank in the West Midlands.
The site includes four large pasture fields and one arable field, bordered by native hedgerows and woodland. Plans focus on enhancing existing grasslands and hedgerows while creating new shrub, woodland edge and wetland habitats to support a wide range of wildlife.
Species expected to benefit include skylark, lapwing, meadow pipit, reed warbler and sparrowhawk, alongside mammals such as hedgehog and brown hare. The habitat bank has also been designed to improve ecological links between nearby protected sites, including Loynton Moss, Cop Mere and Doley Common Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Biodiversity Net Gain became law in England in 2024, requiring most new developments to deliver at least a 10% measurable increase in biodiversity. Habitat banks like Eccleshall provide developers with an off-site option to meet these requirements.
Marc Anderson, Lead Ecologist for the site, said the project will create “a diverse mosaic of habitats” that supports wildlife while helping people understand the value of nature restoration.
Biodiversity Units from the Eccleshall Habitat Bank are now available to developers, subject to availability.
A public footpath through the site will allow local communities to see the landscape restoration as it develops.