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Brent goose mitigation for a stalled Home Office scheme
A government scheme was held on Habitat Regulations grounds, with no available compensation for the protected bird populations affected.
Home Office. Government. Published with client permission.
- Previously stalled
- Over twelve months
- Species
- Brent goose and Solent waders
- Sector
- Government
- Obligation
- Habitat Regulations
The problem
The scheme affected functionally linked land supporting Solent waders and Brent goose, populations protected under the Habitat Regulations. Development could not proceed without compensation that Natural England would accept, and no suitable compensation existed to buy.
The scheme had been stalled for more than a year, a common pattern in the Solent: the requirement is understood, but the land is not available and nobody will fund it ahead of a consent that may not come.
Everyone agreed what was needed, but nobody would fund it before consent. We invested our own capital ahead of the client, and the client paid for the outcome.
What we did
Consulted Natural England throughout
We agreed the approach with Natural England before committing to it and kept them involved through design and delivery, rather than proposing a solution and defending it afterwards.
Identified suitable functionally linked land
Location, function and connectivity mattered more than area, so we assessed options against how the birds actually use the landscape.
Invested our capital ahead of the client
We bought the land and funded the habitat works from our own balance sheet before consent. The client paid for the outcome, the agreed compensation, rather than funding land and works at risk.
Delivered and secured the compensation
The habitat is created and protected in perpetuity, with the obligation held by us and an evidence pack supporting the appropriate assessment.
On the ground at Stubbington
Fencing out disturbance, establishing short grass for grazing geese, and decoys to draw birds onto the site.
The outcome
For the scheme
The compensation was agreed with Natural England and the scheme was consented after more than a year of delay. The client paid for the result, not the risk.
For good
The land is our Stubbington Brent Goose Reserve, owned freehold, protected in perpetuity and monitored under our stewardship. The client carries no residual delivery or management obligation.
Project enquiries
Send us the species, the site, the assessment and the deadline, and we’ll reply within a day.