Case Study: Delivering Biodiversity Net Gain for David Lloyd Leisure
When David Lloyd Leisure needed offsite biodiversity units for their new health and wellness club in Kettering, they came to the right place.
Working alongside Lichfields planning consultants and David Lloyd Leisure’s development team, we provided fully compliant biodiversity units from our registered Dingley Habitat Bank, keeping this major development on track for planning approval.
Wood-Pasture and Parkland habitat units from Integrated Land Management’s Site at Dingley
The Project
The new David Lloyd Club at Hanwood Park represents a significant investment in North Northamptonshire's leisure infrastructure. This comprehensive facility will feature indoor and outdoor tennis courts, dedicated padel courts, swimming pools and Spa Retreat and spa gardens, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and family activity zones.
For a development of this scale and community importance, getting BNG right was essential - not just for planning compliance, but for delivering genuine environmental benefits alongside community wellbeing.
The Collaborative Approach
This project demonstrates what's possible when experienced partners work together from the outset:
David Lloyd Leisure brought forward-thinking commitment to integrating BNG into their development plans
Lichfields provided expert planning consultancy, ensuring all regulatory requirements were understood and addressed
ILM delivered established, registered habitat banks with complete documentation and compliance certainty
With the development located in North Northamptonshire LPA, we were able to source local Wood-Pasture and Parkland habitats from our Dingley site, meeting all trading rule requirements. Because these habitats were already established and protected under a Conservation Covenant, the planning team could provide immediate certainty on availability and compliance.
“Our role wasn’t just to supply units; it was to ensure the solution aligned with the metric, met habitat trading rules, and satisfied Natural England’s requirements. Working with experienced planning consultants like Lichfields also makes this process much smoother - everyone understands what’s needed, and we can focus on delivering quality outcomes.”
Efficient Delivery
The entire process - from David Lloyd Leisure accepting our biodiversity unit quote through to final documentation and unit allocation - was completed within seven days.
This timeline was possible because all parties came prepared:
· Lichfields had coordinated the planning requirements clearly
· ILM's habitat banks were pre-registered with all documentation ready
· David Lloyd Leisure's team engaged early and understood the process
· Conservation Covenants were already secured, eliminating delays
This demonstrates how established habitat banks, combined with experienced planning consultancy, can support development timelines without compromising on quality or compliance.
What Makes the Difference
This project highlights several factors that contribute to smooth BNG outcomes:
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All parties understood BNG requirements from the start.
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No waiting to see if habitats establish successfully.
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All trading rules and requirements already confirmed.
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Lichfields’ experience navigating both traditional planning and BNG requirements.
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Conservation Covenants securing 30-year management.
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Full audit trail ready for planning submissions.
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ILM’s team able to handle everything from metric interpretation to allocation.
“When developers come to us, they’re often surprised by how straightforward BNG can be. Because we’ve done the groundwork - literally and figuratively - we can respond quickly while ensuring everything is done properly.”
The Outcome
✓ BNG conditions fully discharged
✓ Complete compliance with Natural England specifications
✓ Habitat management secured for 30+ years
✓ Clear documentation trail for planning
✓ Development timeline maintained
✓ Professional collaboration across all parties
Working Together
This project highlights what's possible when developers, planning consultants and habitat providers collaborate effectively. Early engagement, clear communication and established habitat banks all contribute to smoother outcomes for everyone involved.
The biodiversity units allocated from Dingley aren't just numbers on a metric - they represent real habitats, professionally managed and monitored, delivering the nature recovery our planning system now demands.
“We are delighted to be working with Integrated Land Management to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain as part of the development of our Kettering club. This partnership reflects our commitment to ensuring that leisure and wellbeing go hand in hand with environmental responsibility. By investing in nature alongside our facilities, we’re helping to create lasting ecological benefits for the local community and future generations.”
Why Choose ILM
We're more than unit suppliers. As land managers ourselves, we understand both the practical realities of habitat creation and the commercial pressures of development. This dual perspective shapes everything we do:
· Registered sites available now across multiple habitat types
· Transparent pricing and process - no hidden complications
· Personal service from a small, knowledgeable team
· Real ecological outcomes backed by decades of land management experience
· Experience working alongside planning consultants to deliver seamless outcomes
Whether you're a developer needing off-site units quickly, a planning consultant seeking reliable habitat solutions for your clients, or a landowner wanting to explore bringing land forward as a gain site - we're here to help make BNG work.
Let's Talk About Your BNG Requirements
If you're preparing a planning application and need a reliable BNG solution, get in touch. We'll review your requirements and let you know how we can help - typically within 48 hours.
