Yorkshire nature restoration business creates new jobs following Environment Act legislation

A Yorkshire based nature restoration business will spearhead the rollout of its Habitat Bank Scheme following new environmental legislation, creating twenty new jobs.

Environment Bank, founded in 2006, is a leading provider of biodiversity net gain (BNG) through its ‘Credits’ scheme - whereby habitat impacted by development is created with a minimum of 10 per cent gain for nature. Housing and commercial developers, infrastructure businesses and corporates in the UK are now required by law to ensure BNG on all new projects or risk planning permission being refused.

Environment Bank has hired twenty more professionals across the UK, including ecologists, marketing, operational and legal experts, taking its staff numbers to 26.

Professor David Hill, CBE, founder, Environment Bank said: “BNG means leaving the natural environment in a better state than before a development or infrastructure project was built. Ensuring this happens via the planning process has now been made law through the Environment Act.

“This presents a greater opportunity than ever before to restore nature across our country at scale. This is critical because we have seen an unprecedented 60 per cent decline in biodiversity over the past five decades.

James Cross, chief executive, Environment Bank, added: “We have the largest, most experienced team of BNG experts in the country, and a robust, risk-free process in place for delivering BNG at scale. The first of hundreds of habitat banks will open before Christmas which will enable developers to deliver against their new legal requirements, in a simple and straightforward way, rather than risk planning permission being refused.

“The past year has been a joy - we have a refreshed board of directors, a new office situated at the University of York, a large team of handpicked experts spread across England and plans to create a further 25 new jobs in the next 12 months. Even though we have grown at a rapid pace, we all share a common set of values and a shared vision. A vision built around our new plan for the planet, which will achieve enhancement to nature and unlock sustainable growth.”

Environment Bank Biodiversity Credits are the first of their kind in England and offer a readymade, risk-free service to landowners, planning authorities and developers.