A vital green space has been bought by Gravesham Borough Council to protect it from development and create an opportunity to increase biodiversity further within the Borough.
The land, between the southern edge of urban Northfleet and Gravesend and the village of Istead Rise, which extends over 160.91 acres (65.11 hectares), takes in Hazell’s Farm, Durndale Farm and Wingfield Bank Farm. It is bordered by Istead Rise to the south, the A227 to the east and HS1 and the A2 to the north.
Welcoming the acquisition, Cllr Shane Mochrie-Cox, Gravesham Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Strategic Environment, said: “I know when the land was advertised as being for sale there was concern locally that it would be bought for its development potential.
“As a council we moved quickly to ensure this vital green lung will be preserved and used in a way that is in line with the current agricultural, natural and rural nature of the land, while supporting our Corporate Plan ambitions in terms of our green spaces and climate change agenda.”
Cllr Mochrie-Cox explained the land presents opportunities for biodiversity net gain (BNG), a way of creating and improving natural habitats to ensure a positive impact on biodiversity compared to what was there previously.
Biodiversity net gain uses primarily involve habitat creation, enhancement, management and monitoring. Habitats can include grassland, hedgerows, lakes, woodland and watercourses such as rivers and streams.
Cllr Mochrie-Cox said: “The law now requires those behind developments to prove they are able to deliver biodiversity net gain.
“It can be impossible for developers of brownfield land in urban areas to meet BNG requirements on those sites, but they can pay for habitats to be created on land elsewhere.”
He added that there was still scope for agricultural uses of the land such as grazing dependent on which biodiversity net gain uses were introduced, and that access to the land via public rights of way would be maintained.
He said: “If the land is used for biodiversity net gain, then naturally the character of it will change over time as new habitats are created, but it will remain rural in nature and will continue to serve as a natural buffer between the built-up areas of Northfleet, Gravesend and Istead Rise.”