BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN

01

Swinhope Head

Living Uplands has facilitated a local farm in Upper Weardale to enter a
large and diverse area of upland habitat into a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
scheme. 

Lying within the Durham LPA and North Pennines National Character Area, the scheme will generate almost 300 BNG units and includes a variety of habitat types including watercourse and woodland habitats. This offers an exceptional opportunity for nature recovery at landscape-scale.

02

Habitat

Habitat types at Swinhope Head (distinctiveness):
-upland acid grassland (Medium)
-Upland hay meadow (Very high)
-Wet woodland (High)
-Upland heathland (High)
-Blanket bog (Very high)
-Fens (Upland and Lowland) (Very high)
-Purple moor-grass and rush pasture (Very high)
-Other rivers and streams (High)
-Ecologically valuable line of trees (Medium)

Going forward Living Uplands is working with Durham Wildlife Trust, the British Trust for Ornithology, Durham University, Newcastle University, and others. The area will be used to identify best practice in restoration and conservation, and greater insight into the fundamentals of upland flora and fauna and with particular interest in the impact of climate change. The data collected and analysed will be shared widely.

We and our partners also see this as an opportunity to develop and use brand new monitoring technology and methods.