A Build with Nature accreditation has been awarded to Lea Castle Village, near Kidderminster in Worcestershire.
The scheme Building with Nature is voluntary, and sets out the standards for high-quality green infrastructure through each stage of the development process.
A wide range of plants and animals are homed in the woodland surrounding Lea Castle Village. The site is owned by Homes England who worked in partnership with Worcestershire Green Infrastructure Partnership (WGIP) and borough and county ecologists to develop a framework for green infrastructure.
Green infrastructure is defined by Natural England as "…a network of multi-functional green space, both new and existing, both rural and urban, which supports the natural and ecological processes and is integral to the health and quality of life of sustainable communities".
An outline planning application has been approved for the site, which hopes to "safeguard and enrich" the environment already present in the area.
Last October, Vistry Partnerships started building 600 homes on the site, and has been seeking Building with Nature accreditation while working with Homes England, local councils, WGIP and consultants.
A number of European Protected Species of bats, including lesser horseshoe, brown long-eared and pipistrelle had made homes in empty buildings on the site, so new roosts have now been built for the bats. To further mitigate any impacts of development on the bats extra planting and screening are being introduced. Information boards will also be placed on site to outline the importance of the bat roosts. In order to maintain any commuting and foraging corridors between roosts, dark corridors and specialist bat lighting have been created.
In June 2021 the area already became the first Homes England site to be given the Building with Nature Design Award.
In future, the site hopes to secure more Build with Nature accreditation, with further plans for another 800 homes, employment land, a primary school, sports pitch, orchards and allotments. Green infrastructure is hoped to take up around 40% of the wider Lea Castle site, with an aim of 10% biodiversity net gain.
