We understand that the climate is changing and as a housing provider, we have a duty to tackle both climate change and the shortage of housing that we face. We thought this would be a good opportunity to showcase what we’re doing to help future-proof our planet. Ben Earl, our Head of Partnerships and Sustainability Research, discusses the importance of green spaces as we’re heading toward Net Zero.
Biodiversity across our developments
Our natural world is under threat. Species are declining and habitats are shrinking. What’s more, there’s a need to tackle the twin crises of climate change and the extinction of different species known as biodiversity loss as part of a holistic approach to reduce our impact on the environment.
Our commitments include, building more sustainable homes that are affordable, decarbonising our existing housing and reducing our operational emissions to net zero by 2030.
We’re ambitious to utilise the footprint offered by our 50,000 homes and assets to protect our communities’ ecosystems and wildlife for the benefit of our 114,000 customers and beyond. We want customers to be involved in lowering our carbon emissions whilst protecting biodiversity. One way of making sure this happens is through creating space for nature in all our new developments. Nature-based solutions are actions to protect, sustainably manage, or restore natural ecosystems and Abri will maximise these solutions through our own land use, but also recognising the dependencies on biodiversity throughout our supply chain.
The Environment Act 2021, legislation created by the UK government, has mandated a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for all new developments. BNG aims to create new habitats and enhance existing habitats in a measurable way. With the guidance and support from the UK government, we have been implementing BNG as a condition of planning permission on our new developments.
The role of Grounds Maintenance
Our Grounds Maintenance team maintains an increasing number of sites for wildlife and biodiversity to enhance local biodiversity and community well-being. Breach Avenue in Emsworth is a two-acre site with apple trees and wildflowers, and Seafield View in Porchester, a four-acre site near Wicor Shore, which is expected to become a flagship due to its appeal to seabirds. At Parsonage Close in Upper Farringdon, one to two-acres will host new beehives in Spring 2024, while Chalkhill Meadows in Bishopstoke, our current flagship site, supports diverse wildlife including otters and grass snakes, and we have plans for additional beehives.
The bulk of this work is carried out by a few dedicated Grounds Maintenance operatives whose role is to plan and manage specific sites for nature. But the team also recognise the impact these practices can have across all our estates. To attract ‘life’ to an area, it must be allowed to flourish and bloom however it wants. So we’re slowly changing the way the wider Grounds Maintenance team operates. This means that, where appropriate, we’re leaving some verges and other, smaller green spaces to grow with minimal human interference, rather than undertaking the typical, more ‘formal’ style of maintenance.
Involving the community
We’re keen to get the local community on board and involved in our biodiversity work, both in a practical sense and through educating people on the benefits of leaving certain spaces to grow wild. We have numerous allotments; community gardens and orchards open to the public across our regions providing benefits for nature while improving the health and wellbeing of local people.
In Mansbridge, we developed a community orchard in partnership with Green Earth Plan, alongside a community allotment. These initiatives not only foster thriving communities but also encourage wildflowers to grow, native species to return, and nature to flourish.