Guests from the property, ecology and finance communities welcomed at our first Halnaker Hill Farm open day

We were pleased to welcome more than 30 guests from the property, ecology and finance communities to Halnaker Hill Farm to find out more about our landmark Biodiversity Net Gain project at our first open day.

The visitors, including agents, ecologists, property managers and fund managers, enjoyed a guided walk of part of our 330-acre landscape on a crisp, sunny November day.

They were welcomed by Greg Lukasiewicz, our Sales and Marketing Director, our Business Development Director John Yeend, Agri-Environment Consultant Will Atkinson and members of the wider farm team.

During the tour, guests learned how we are transforming this previously intensively farmed land into a nature haven and were shown areas where the landscape is already starting to transform, including the restoration of woodland, the planting of hedgerows, and the creation of new ponds and scrubland.

There was also an opportunity to learn about the process of purchasing Biodiversity Net Gain(BNG) units, which are available to developers who are required to offset the biodiversity impact of their projects, to corporates in support of their environmental goals, and to individuals who want to leave a personal ecological legacy.

Greg said: “We were delighted at such a large turnout for our first open day, and pleased to see such interest from guests and their reactions as we toured our beautiful farm.

“This was a great opportunity to share progress at Halnaker Hill Farm to date and to talk to the group about the process of purchasing BNG units. We are looking forward to sharing updates as our BNG scheme, one of the largest in the UK, continues to flourish in the months and years to come.”

Commercial aspects of the BNG project, owned by Halnaker Hill Natural Capital, are managed by Kingsbridge, a leading developer of commercial projects across the south, with support from leading property consultancy Bidwells in bringing the BNG units to the statutory market.

Lisa Bulmer, Natural Capital Associate at Bidwells, says: “It’s great to see so much interest in Halnaker Hill Farm, and to share the benefits that it will bring. Delivering BNG at this scale benefits from economies of scale and maximises environmental outcomes by having a whole-ecosystem approach to nature restoration, as well as delivering wider co-benefits.”

Registered with South Downs National Park Authority and Natural England, the project will provide a total of 856 BNG units, making it one of the largest biodiversity land banks in the UK.

For enquiries about purchasing BNG units or for more information about the scheme, please visit our contact page.

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