As of the 26th of January 2023, the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has announced some updated information to the Environmental Land Management Scheme (also known as ELMs). DEFRA are expanding their schemes to pay farmers and land managers to provide environmental goods and services alongside food production; and providing one-off grants…
The Environment Act 2021 has bought changes to Biodiversity Net Gain requirements for all planning permissions granted in England (with a few exemptions). From November 2023 all planning permissions will have to deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain. Biodiversity Net Gain delivers measurable improvements for biodiversity by creating or enhancing habitats in association with…
Working with sister company FGS Agri we recently undertook 850 acres of drilling to establish 650 acres of legume rich sward, 90 acres of arable reversion mix and approximately 110 acres of wildflower mix, in order to fulfil pre-commencement conditions which needed to be discharged as part of a large renewable energy project. The project…
Natural England have posted an interesting video about the District Level Licensing scheme for Great Crested Newts. Over 1000 ponds have been created and/or restored throughout the UK. We have carried out six ponds on our own farms as well as secured suitable sites on a number of ponds across Kent. Our sister company FGS…
The South East Rivers Trust have put together this interesting article about recent natural flood management projects being delivered through the Medway Flood Partnership across the Medway catchment. Our sister company FGS Pilcher worked on the Sissinghurst Castle & Gardens project where they restored a floodplain water meadow. Natural Flood Management (NFM) uses natural materials…
Today is World Soil Day. This day has been dedicated by the UN to raise awareness of soil health and to create positive change. The message for this year is “Soils, where food begins”. Healthy soils are the basis for healthy and nutritious food. At Habitat Regeneration we believe that effective farm management utilising some…
Habitat Regeneration have recently undertaken Downland management on a site near Snodland, Kent. We carried out in field scrub management across approximately 100 acres, removing bramble and self-seeded blackthorn with a front-mounted flail on a forestry specification tractor with a crawler gearbox. Having opened up the site, we undertook boundary management with a tractor mounted…
On the family farm we have been busy providing habitats for the next owl breeding season. We obtained funding and support to install another barn owl box on the farm in Egerton, with help from the Countryside Partnership. The site for the barn owl box was carefully selected in an area of grassland which is…
Habitat Regeneration has undertaken its third phase of works for Forestry England at their woodland creation project in Kent. For this phase of the works, we undertook vegetation management. Requirements: Spraying rows before saplings are planted to provide effective weed suppression and avoid young trees being outcompeted. Maintaining inter row sward height to avoid saplings…
Habitat Regeneration has been continuing work assisting Forestry England at their Pleasant Forest woodland creation site in Kent. Our latest phase of works included fitting 10 badger gates, erecting rabbit fencing, tree caging, mulch covering and watering. Requirements: Fitting of badger gates across the site to facilitate the free and natural movement of local badger…
