Development that delivers for people, nature and the local community
How an early partnership between Henry Boot, Chesterfield Borough Council and Derbyshire Wildlife Trust created a lasting nature legacy alongside one of Chesterfield's major regeneration projects
- 16.47 units
- 24 hectares
jobs created across the wider Markham Vale development
biodiversity habitat units — delivered at Wild Whittington
hectares for Wild Whittington's site size
additional jobs from the approved extension
The Challenge
Markham Vale is one of Chesterfield's major regeneration stories.
Built on the site of the former Markham Colliery, the development has transformed previously industrial land into a major employment location, bringing investment, businesses and jobs to the area. The wider Markham Vale development is a joint venture between HBD, part of Henry Boot, and Derbyshire County Council, and has already created more than 2,700 jobs.
The Markham Vale North Extension presented challenge: how to accommodate the biodiversity impacts of development and deliver the required biodiversity. The development's biodiversity assessment identified that the required biodiversity uplift could not be fully delivered within the development site itself. An off-site solution was therefore needed.
Long before Biodiversity Net Gain became a mandatory planning requirement in England, Henry Boot and its ecological advisers were working with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to identify how the impacts of the Markham Vale North Extension could be addressed.
This early partnership between Henry Boot, Chesterfield Borough Council and Wild BNG helped demonstrate what is possible.
The Challenge
Markham Vale is one of Chesterfield's major regeneration stories.
Built on the site of the former Markham Colliery, the development has transformed previously industrial land into a major employment location, bringing investment, businesses and jobs to the area. The wider Markham Vale development is a joint venture between HBD, part of Henry Boot, and Derbyshire County Council, and has already created more than 2,700 jobs.
The Markham Vale North Extension presented challenge: how to accommodate the biodiversity impacts of development and deliver the required biodiversity. The development's biodiversity assessment identified that the required biodiversity uplift could not be fully delivered within the development site itself. An off-site solution was therefore needed.
Long before Biodiversity Net Gain became a mandatory planning requirement in England, Henry Boot and its ecological advisers were working with Derbyshire Wildlife Trust to identify how the impacts of the Markham Vale North Extension could be addressed.
This early partnership between Henry Boot, Chesterfield Borough Council and Wild BNG helped demonstrate what is possible.
The solution
In 2021, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust was approached to support the delivery of off-site biodiversity habitat units associated with the development.
The agreed solution was to deliver 16.47 biodiversity habitat units at Wild Whittington, DWT's first BNG habitat bank, just a few miles away in Old Whittington.
The arrangement brought together three local organisations with different but complementary responsibilities:
- Henry Boot; delivering investment and development that supports the local economy.
- Chesterfield Borough Council; ensuring development delivers against local planning and environmental objectives.
- Wild BNG; creating and managing new habitats that provide lasting benefits for wildlife and people.
Together, they created a practical solution that connected development with nature recovery.
From development impact to nature recovery
Wild Whittington is a 24-hectare former agricultural site north of Chesterfield, positioned between important woodland corridors. The site is being transformed into a mosaic of wildlife-rich habitats including grassland, scrub and woodland.
Its habitat delivery is secured through a Section 106 agreement with Chesterfield Borough Council. This means that the investment associated with development at Markham Vale is helping to create something tangible just down the road: new habitat, new opportunities for wildlife and a new natural asset for local people.
The proximity matters. It is a powerful example of the principle at the heart of Wild BNG:
Development doesn't have to mean nature loses. With the right approach, investment associated with development can help create new places for nature and people.
Two sites. One local legacy.
There is something particularly fitting about the relationship between Markham Vale and Wild Whittington.
At Markham Vale, investment is helping to regenerate a former industrial landscape and create employment opportunities for local people. The approved extension includes extensive landscaping, protection and improvement of the river corridor, new woodland and grassland, native hedgerows and significant tree planting. The wider scheme was expected to create up to 800 additional jobs.
Just down the road, investment from that development is helping Derbyshire Wildlife Trust create a new wildlife-rich landscape at Wild Whittington.
The two places demonstrate how development and nature recovery can work alongside one another.
Markham Vale brings jobs, investment and economic opportunity.
Wild Whittington brings habitat, wildlife, green space and opportunities for people to connect with nature.
Both contribute to the future of Chesterfield.
A model for responsible development
The Markham Vale partnership is particularly significant because it happened before Biodiversity Net Gain became mandatory.
It demonstrates that developers do not need to wait for regulation to act. By having those early conversations, working collaboratively with the local planning authority and conservation expertise, and investing in a high-quality off-site habitat solution, Henry Boot was able to address the biodiversity impacts of its development while contributing to wider nature recovery in the local area.
Today, Wild Whittington is showing the results of that approach. Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's monitoring is already recording signs of nature recovering across the site, including expanding willow scrub, increasingly diverse grassland and rising numbers of birds, pollinators, bats and mammals.
And the benefits are designed to last.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's BNG sites are protected in perpetuity, extending the benefits for nature and people well beyond the statutory 30-year BNG period.
The Wild BNG difference
The Markham Vale story illustrates what we believe good BNG should look like.
Local. Investment from local development supports nature recovery in the same landscape.
Collaborative. Developers, local authorities and conservation organisations work together to find practical solutions.
Additional. Investment creates new opportunities for nature rather than simply protecting existing conservation land.
Long-term. Habitats are managed for the benefit of nature and people well into the future.
Meaningful. BNG investment becomes part of a wider programme of nature recovery rather than simply a transaction to satisfy a planning condition.
The Wild BNG difference
The Markham Vale story illustrates what we believe good BNG should look like.
Local. Investment from local development supports nature recovery in the same landscape.
Collaborative. Developers, local authorities and conservation organisations work together to find practical solutions.
Additional. Investment creates new opportunities for nature rather than simply protecting existing conservation land.
Long-term. Habitats are managed for the benefit of nature and people well into the future.
Meaningful. BNG investment becomes part of a wider programme of nature recovery rather than simply a transaction to satisfy a planning condition.
Creating better places for people and nature
The story of Markham Vale and Wild Whittington shows what can happen when development is considered as part of a wider landscape.
A major employment development can bring jobs and investment to a community.
And, at the same time, investment associated with that development can help create new wildlife-rich places just down the road.
That's the opportunity of Biodiversity Net Gain.
At Wild BNG, we help developers turn their biodiversity obligations into investment in nature — working with them, local authorities and landowners to create high-quality habitats that deliver benefits for wildlife and communities for generations to come.
That's the opportunity of Biodiversity Net Gain.
At Wild BNG, we help developers turn their biodiversity obligations into investment in nature — working with them, local authorities and landowners to create high-quality habitats that deliver benefits for wildlife and communities for generations to come.
