Grange Woods site to become new wildlife habitat bank
Grassland, woodland and ponds are being created at the site between Chester and Frodsham
By Cheshire Live
A council-owned site between Chester and Frodsham is being turned into a new wildlife habitat bank.
The project is taking shape at Grange Woods, an 8.56-hectare site owned by Cheshire West and Chester Council.
The council says the scheme will create and improve a mix of habitats, including species-rich grassland, native broadleaved woodland and carefully designed ponds.
The aim is to make the land more valuable for wildlife, while also helping nature recover across west Cheshire.
Once established, the site is expected to support a wider range of native plants and animals, including pollinating insects such as bees and butterflies, birds, bats, small mammals and amphibians.
The new ponds could also provide suitable conditions for newts, frogs and toads.
Habitat banks are areas of land set aside to create or improve habitats for wildlife over the long term.
They are also linked to Biodiversity Net Gain, a planning system that requires most new developments to deliver at least a 10% improvement for biodiversity.
Where developers cannot deliver all of that improvement on their own site, they can fund habitat creation elsewhere by buying biodiversity units from a registered habitat bank.
Cheshire West and Chester Council said the Grange Woods project is its first dedicated habitat bank to be registered with Natural England.
The council says the work will help create a more connected landscape, allowing species to move more freely and establish stronger populations over time.
Before habitat creation began, a baseline ecological assessment was carried out at the site.
Regular monitoring and condition checks are also expected to take place so habitat quality and progress can be tracked.
The council said all gains will be recorded on the national Biodiversity Gain Site Register.
More habitat bank sites are also being planned across the borough, with future units expected to include woodland, grassland, scrub, ponds, wetland and watercourse habitats.
The council has also agreed a Section 106 arrangement with Bioscape Developments for the Eaton Lane Habitat Bank in Davenham, which has been registered nationally.
Gemma Davies, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Director of Economy and Housing, said establishing the first habitat bank in the borough was an important step in creating more space for nature in west Cheshire.
She said the approach would help join up areas for nature and provide benefits for residents, businesses and the local economy.
For communities between Chester and Frodsham, the Grange Woods project means a piece of council-owned land will be managed with wildlife recovery as its main purpose.
The site is expected to change gradually as grassland, woodland and water habitats become established.