How to tackle the biodiversity crisis in the built environment

The UK is set to see the best summer for wild flowers in years, bees are back and goats roam the deserted streets of the Welsh town of Llandudno. A country in lockdown has shone a light on the impact of humans on the natural environment. But as nature returns, biodiversity gains are still in crisis and greater action is needed. The Environment Bill, which seeks to tackle the effects of more than 100 years of biodiversity decline, was held up by the General Election and has hit a wall in the pandemic. But it’s not just central government that is stalling; local authorities are also failing to embrace new policy. “When you talk to local planning authorities up and down the country, their thinking differs enormously,” says Roland Bull, head of rural investment at Bidwells. “We need a further push from central government, but also a more consistent adoption of that model across the country.” The property industry has put biodiversity at the top of the agenda, say speakers at EG’s Sustainability Live panel on social and economic robustness, but it will need to overcome blocks in the public sector before it can bring about real change. Economic incentives “Biodiversity does have tangible financial value, both in terms of the outcomes on specific built projects, but also now as an emerging private market for investment,” says Bull. On-site biodiversity brings economic, social and health benefits, he says, but this is not the same as true strategic conservation, which is best delivered on rural sites. “It is definitely coming not just from our investors but, interestingly, also from the end user. We are getting residents and business owners saying biodiversity is a priority,” says Olaide Oboh, director of partnerships at First Base. A focus on biodiversity draws people to developments, be these homebuyers, renters, commercial tenants or even aiding recruitment. And it is top of the agenda at First Base. Oboh points to the £175m mixed-use Soapworks scheme in Bristol, where the developer is seeking to “push the sustainability agenda”. She says First Base is delivering more than 100 plant species on the scheme and she adds that the private sector is also responsible for driving this. “We’ve got to have a different approach if we are going to make fundamental differences and change our environment.” Though it is not easy. “Sometimes it is an uphill struggle with local authorities who say we have to deliver car parking spaces. Car access instead of car ownership is much more important and there are benefits in air quality and design. Sometimes we have to push policy as well,” she says. Strategic thinking The Environment Bill will require developers to deliver a 10% net gain of biodiversity on their schemes. It also proposes larger-scale nature recovery networks for wider scale gains. “A lot of this is about creating the conditions in which a private market can thrive,” says Bull. It means certainty and guidance for landowners and developers, with more sustainable models that focus on scale and cost efficiencies. “This is where we are seeing public policy develop,” says Bull. “There will be a more strategic approach to identifying biodiversity opportunity mappings – parcels of land that have the greatest potential to deliver conservation outcomes, linking existing habitats of conservation importance.” Bull says this has to be public policy driven. He applauds the “direction of travel” from central government, but says this has yet to filter to local authority level. “Even though the framework is now there, we are seeing too many ad-hoc solutions, rather than the intention of the policy being the strategic scale and efficient use of resource,” says Bull. “What you can’t expect is individual small schemes to be delivering strategic-scale green space. We need frameworks that allow resources to be pulled and to think on a bigger scale.” Public sector intervention Monica von Schmalensee is a senior partner at White Arkitekter, which has offices in Stockholm and London. She says when it comes to public sector masterplanning, the UK can learn from Scandinavia. “What we have here is more of a common knowledge in the boroughs. There are a lot more architects and planners,” she says. “With that knowledge you can have more of a long-term perspective in planning across greater areas.” Stockholm is bolstered by a strengthened planning system, as well as more public sector land, says von Schmalensee. “Stockholm owns more land than London, and that is another way to tackle this issue,” she adds. When the public sector is the landowner, it allows greater autonomy to make decisions that are not motivated by the market. This includes allowing strategic land to be left for conservation. This is something Bull has to work with too. He notes a scheme of 12,000 homes and 5.5m sq ft where he has been appointed to lead the green infrastructure plan. “Not all of that space can be dedicated to public use if you want to achieve the optimal range of outcomes,” he says. “There is land in close proximity to this site that has very high conservation value, which is incompatible with broad public use.” We may have seen wildlife and greenery creep back in a world under lockdown, but committing large swathes of land to long-term conservation will be another matter. Motivating landowners to commit to biodiversity in this way comes at an expense and will inevitably rely on government action. The panel Roland Bull, partner, head of rural investment, Bidwells Olaide Oboh, director of partnerships, First Base Monica von Schmalensee, senior partner and architect, White Arkitekter   To send feedback, e-mail emma.rosser@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmmaARosser or @estatesgazette