Just plant trees on it, job sorted.
Biodiversity offsetting - Anyone done it?
- Thread starter Coximus
- Start date
I had a long and interesting conversation with the Land Agent from a local Developer...
Shropshire Council are in the early stages of looking at BioD offsetting.
Telford Council have not bothered.
Some of the "Greater" Chester Councils have started looking at BDO.
West Midlands showing interest, but nothing much happening as yet.
However, the Developer Agent was very much up to speed with whole concept and how it is going to shape future Planning applications. He said they were exploring the external Company option, with remote offsetting sites, but it is still very early days. I felt he was aware that some authorities would be insisting that offsetting was carried out locally, and certainly within the Council area.
Shropshire Council are in the early stages of looking at BioD offsetting.
Telford Council have not bothered.
Some of the "Greater" Chester Councils have started looking at BDO.
West Midlands showing interest, but nothing much happening as yet.
However, the Developer Agent was very much up to speed with whole concept and how it is going to shape future Planning applications. He said they were exploring the external Company option, with remote offsetting sites, but it is still very early days. I felt he was aware that some authorities would be insisting that offsetting was carried out locally, and certainly within the Council area.
Coximus
Member
Yes this is indeminified against and covered with the exception of Knotweed and Balsam, as the offsets are approved via the Defra Matrix, and the latest climate change legistlation superceding the injurious weeds act in this regards, and providing a full indemnity against claim, as they are not arising from acts or negligence of the occupier of land - but from government intention for public good, theirfore their presence, if part of the proscribed management, is not a cause for nuisance or harm but a public and environmental beneift.Thanks.
Are they aware of the Weeds Act. I wonder....?
Power to require occupier to prevent spreading of injurious weeds.
(1)Where the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (in this Act referred to as “the Minister”) is satisfied that there are injurious weeds to which this Act applies growing upon any land he may serve upon the occupier of the land a notice in writing requiring him, within the time specified in the notice, to take such action as may be necessary to prevent the weeds from spreading.
(2)This Act applies to the following injurious weeds, that is to say—
- spear thistle (cirsium vulgare), (Savi) Ten.
- creeping or field thistle (cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.),
- curled dock (rumex crispus L.),
- broad-leaved dock (rumex obtusifolius L.), and
- ragwort (senecio jacobaea L.)
It might be that a Neighbour complains to you regarding the risk of seed blow from the now healthy crop of creeping thistle and ragwort onto his adjoining land....
What then Mr Ecologist???
Coximus
Member
Yes with regards to local authority area - and I know in Yorkshire one metric being used is a penalty system, larger offsets for further away - acknowledging that on the urban fringe land is a scarce resource. Offsetting is coming in first in the high house price, thus super nibmy areas as its a useful tool for the developpers, I know many are viewing it as an insurance as it invalidates alot of Nimby type "save our green fields and beauitiful ragwort patch" type objections you get in the posher upmarket areas. It also makes the planners have to only really look at traffic and public service issues - Apparently the objections and legal messing about from local resistance groups almost always center on perceived environmental issues, though they usually loose, they always cost a lot of time and money.
FFS!!! That is plain and bloody stupid, and is enough of a reason for a legal objection to a Planning Application requiring an Offset being placed on land next to farmland I would think...
The "external company" he mentioned, was a 3rd party company, setting up specifically for the purpose of offsetting.
This business model was mentioned earlier in the thread i think?
One man's weed is another man's pump for bringing minerals to the soil surface... the lack of understanding about weed control due to chemical solutions and agricultural rotations of livestock and arable is hilarious!! Go back to school with an open mind and you might even see weeds as a free cover crop if you manage them well... grass can be a weed... a weed is sometimes only the wrong plant in the wrong place at the wrong time....
I very much doubt it, unless they he's getting the cash!
I am afraid that Ragwort and Creeping Thistle do not appear to have any agricultural benefits, whatsoever....
keith armitage
Member
- Location
- Tipperary
I'm in Ireland so following this more as a spectator than anything else. But usually what happens first with you guys doesn't be long moving over here. It sounds a lot like carbon trading to me, but with biodiversity being traded instead of carbon. Have any of you come across the Env Bank?
https://environmentbank.com/landowners
https://environmentbank.com/landowners
- Location
- Glen Clova, Angus, DD8 4RD
Yes. I spoke to them at the Low Carbon Show at Stoneleigh earlier this year. They seem very clued up but I'm still not convinced.
Their model, and one preferred by government, is that they sign up landowners and build a bank of ready made offset which they can effectively sell a share in to developers who need them.
I don't see genuine delivery of additionally in that, do you?
Is it public knowledge or is there a register of land that is receiving income as a result of biodiversity offsetting?
keith armitage
Member
- Location
- Tipperary
Sounds like they are brokers. FW have a webinar on the subject in a couple of weeks. Over here we have had a biodiversity scheme for a few years, whether biodiversity improvement happens or not is all down to how the land is managed, on mine ryegrass has basically gone after 5 years.
For anyone thinking about going into it get P&K levels up first so that clover will have some hope of surviving and use inoculated clover seed if converting arable land. At least with clover fixing N you have some hope of getting decent pastures from it.
Coximus
Member
Yes youve nailed that one - Mineral analysis on docks with their 3ft taproot in clay is very interesting - low protein and sugar values but Docks are similar in role to a mineral lick - they never flower on my land as the sheep scalp them, and Ive always wondered if breeding a high sugar dock would be something someone would do? I dug some trenches recently to look for a drain and the dock roots were still thumb thick at 1.5m down in the clay.... mining away at clay that has PK indexes off the scale (potash releasing clays - google them!). Worked out my subsoil has a 3000 year supply of PK in the top Meter and its 3M thick..... Chicory sadly never seems to thrive on it as it does a very similar thing.
Obviously Docks are never gonna make friends in a silage lay or rotating field but for PP they are maligned IMO - just dont let em seed.
Coximus
Member
Nope and i know of two cases where tenancys are being ended by the LL for the offsetting - the offsetting is 30years usually sometimes 25, and consensus is its a change of use from agriculture to part of the planning site so legitimate grounds for termination - I know of one case near Harrogate where the tennant is going to court as they face loosing half their land to offsetting.
TBH I think offsetting with end alot of tenancys near towns and cities as it allows a LL to get rid of AHA tenancies potentially and take a lump sum of cash.
Thank you... no offsetting for me then! Will stick with food production
Coximus
Member
Its ok because we can import avocadosThank you... no offsetting for me then! Will stick with food production
Coximus
Member
as a final update on the issue while I read through lots of info -
Italian alder can be planted to provide Nitrogen - apparently its resistant to alot of diseases killing our natives, supports 90% the same insects etc so meets the diversity requirements, not considered invasive and contributes to flood mitigation which means its seen as a +.
Looking at planting 6- 10 a hect which will add around 60-100kg N a year to the soil for grass plus autum return after leaf drop (apparently they don't drop till December too).
Im looking at options to allow cycling of the PK reserves in the subsoil and clay under the land - as they could meet grazing requirements at least for the 30 years while still providing the offset needed.
Going to involve alot of out of box thinking, but also It does look like alot of what is termed "regenerative" agriculture, can be incorporated into the management. It appears that so long as the diversity measurements at 2 yearly intervals stack up and show an increase and then sustained habitat, that while the farming may be incidental to the prime land use, the productive output of said farming could be relatively stable at 80% of that without offsetting.
Italian alder can be planted to provide Nitrogen - apparently its resistant to alot of diseases killing our natives, supports 90% the same insects etc so meets the diversity requirements, not considered invasive and contributes to flood mitigation which means its seen as a +.
Looking at planting 6- 10 a hect which will add around 60-100kg N a year to the soil for grass plus autum return after leaf drop (apparently they don't drop till December too).
Im looking at options to allow cycling of the PK reserves in the subsoil and clay under the land - as they could meet grazing requirements at least for the 30 years while still providing the offset needed.
Going to involve alot of out of box thinking, but also It does look like alot of what is termed "regenerative" agriculture, can be incorporated into the management. It appears that so long as the diversity measurements at 2 yearly intervals stack up and show an increase and then sustained habitat, that while the farming may be incidental to the prime land use, the productive output of said farming could be relatively stable at 80% of that without offsetting.