BNG Units in Wiltshire | Wood Farm Habitat Bank
Wood Farm is a registered Biodiversity Gain Site in Wiltshire providing off-site biodiversity units for developers seeking BNG units in Wiltshire and surrounding areas. Located within the Wiltshire Council Local Planning Authority and the Avon Vales National Character Area, the site delivers grassland, meadow, scrub, woodland, wetland, hedgerow and watercourse units across medium, high and very high distinctiveness categories.
The habitat bank may also support developments in nearby authorities including Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Swindon and Cotswold, subject to Biodiversity Net Gain trading rules, spatial risk considerations and project-specific assessment. With Lowland Meadows forming a significant part of the available allocation, Wood Farm is particularly relevant to schemes requiring very high distinctiveness grassland units alongside other habitat types.
Key Facts
County: Wiltshire
BGS Reference: BGS-110626001
Local Planning Authority (LPA): Wiltshire Council
National Character Area (NCA): Avon Vales
LNRS: Wiltshire and Swindon
HMMP: Yes
Legal Agreement: Conservation Covenant
Total units (indicative): 69.67
Status: Registered
Overview
Wood Farm is an Integrated Land Management (ILM) biodiversity gain site in Wiltshire, positioned within the Avon Vales National Character Area. The habitat bank provides approximately 69.67 indicative units across a particularly varied mix of area, hedgerow and watercourse habitats.
Available habits include Other Neutral Grassland, Lowland Meadows, Mixed Scrub, Other Woodland: Broadleaved, Rural Trees, Reedbeds, Ponds (non-priority habitat), Species-Rich Native Hedgerow with Trees and Ditches. Together, these habitats generate biodiversity units across medium, high and very high distinctiveness categories.
Lowland Meadows account for 37.28 indicative units and provide a substantial very high distinctiveness grassland allocation. This makes Wood Farm particularly relevant where a development has higher-distinctiveness grassland requirements that cannot be met through lower-distinctiveness units or trading up. The site also provides woodland, wetland, hedgerow and watercourse units, giving developers the option to address several habitat deficits through one habitat bank.
An approved Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) is in place, the site is legally secured via a Conservation Covenant and Wood Farm is registered on the Biodiversity Gain Sites Register under reference BGS-110626001.
The following units are currently available from Wood Farm. Availability may change as units are allocated to live projects.
Units Available
Wood Farm provides close to 70 indicative units across grassland, scrub, woodland, wetland, individual tree, hedgerow and watercourse habitats. With area, hedgerow and watercourse units available across medium, high and very high distinctiveness categories, the site can support projects with several habitat deficits through a single allocation.
Coverage
| Neighbouring LPAs | Neighbouring NCAs | Neighbouring LNRS Areas |
|---|---|---|
| Buckinghamshire | Chilterns | Bucks & Milton Keynes |
| Oxfordshire | Thames Valley | Oxfordshire |
Explore nearby biodiversity gain sites: If you're considering developments in neighbouring planning authorities or National Character Areas, you may also wish to explore Leckhampstead. Each site offers different habitat types, unit availability and geographic coverage, helping you identify the most suitable option for your project.
Suitable For
Wood Farm provides units across medium, high and very high distinctiveness, allowing developers to meet BNG trading rules where like-for-like or trading up is required. The presence of Lowland Meadows at very high distinctiveness is particularly relevant for projects facing a shortfall in higher-distinctiveness grassland habitat. The site also delivers woodland, wetland, lakes, individual tree and hedgerow units from a single allocation, simplifying procurement for projects with multi-habitat deficits.
It’s location within the Avon Vales NCA typically supports compliance with spatial risk multiplier considerations for developments in and around Wiltshire, subject to the latest statutory biodiversity metric rules and project-specific assessment. Developers building within the same NCA or LPA may benefit from a lower spatial risk multiplier, potentially reducing the total number of units required to meet their off-site BNG obligation.
Next Steps
Securing off-site BNG units for your development is straightforward. Confirm site suitability by getting in touch with the ILM team, who will check that the available units match your project's habitat and distinctiveness requirements. Once confirmed, units are allocated to your development and reserved ahead of Biodiversity Gain Plan submission. Early engagement is recommended to ensure suitable units are available for your project timeline.
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