South Kesteven District Council’s planning committee unanimously approves scheme for developers to meet biodiversity gains at Boothby Wildlands near Grantham

A council has secured a legally-binding agreement to contribute to a nature project.

South Kesteven District Council’s planning committee unanimously voted today (Thursday) to enter into a Section 106 agreement with Boothby Wildland Limited for land at Boothby, near Grantham.

Applicants Boothby Wildland Limited has proposed to create, manage and maintain a habitat bank where developers who cannot meet a Government-mandated 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG) can buy units on the new site.

This was described as “new territory” for SKDC, as this was the first application of its kind to come before the committee.

Overall councillors praised the plans and the applicants professionalism from the applicants.

Coun Sarah Trotter (Con) said it was a “really good scheme” and that it “certainly won over the residents of Boothby Pagnell.

Coun Patsy Ellis (Ind) also said the site was “extremely professionally run” and she had “no doubt they will make a success of this”.

Despite praise, some councillors did raise questions over SKDC’s enforcement of the site, as they would be monitoring the site’s compliance.

Councillors were reminded by SKDC assistant director of planning, Emma Whittaker, that it was a legal obligation for them to overlook enforcement, and that it would hopefully not be a problem that would come about.

Ivan Declay, of Boothby Wildland Limited, spoke to councillors about the plans, welcoming all of their questions.

He said he was “extremely excited for the potential for Boothby” and that the company hopes Boothby will become a “really special place from a nature perspective”.

Before proposing to grant approval, Coun David Bellamy (Con) said “it was a shame” that due to ecological planning requirements, that “decent agricultural land” was being used.

He added: “It is probably a symptom of being in Lincolnshire that come forward, which are supposedly, whether it be renewable energy or biodiversity, it does appear to be taking up agricultural growing land.

“We are doing good by doing one thing but there is obviously a downside to it, as well as taking good farmland that is out of production.”

The site is 64.6 hectares, with four separate parts of land known as Exton’s Wood (14 hectares), Ark Field (9.6 hectares), Witherns (13 hectares) and Kirkhill (28 hectares), set out for a period of 30 years.

The areas are a part of a wider 617 hectare farmland and have been bought with the intention of “allowing nature restoration and promoting BNG within the unit”.

The applicants will be responsible for undertaking low-density regenerative farming - farming that aims to minimise effects on nature while producing high quality crops - in the biodiversity areas.

Boothby Wildland Limited will also pay a £35,000 fee to SKDC.