BNG Assessment for Cambridge Granta Park

The brief

In order to help meet lab space demand in Cambridge the Granta Park Phase 2 masterplan was developed to provide a 28-acre extension of the Granta Park science park. The proposed plan involved the redevelopment of the existing site to deliver 368,000 sq ft of new research buildings with landscaped grounds at its centre for all to enjoy. A Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) assessment of the park was a requirement of the development.

What did we do?

The MKA Ecology team were commissioned to undertake the BNG assessment of the Site. The purpose of the BNG assessment was to review the existing biodiversity value, taken from the previously undertaken Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA), and compare it to the proposed landscape masterplan  to calculate an overall biodiversity net change. Our experts used the Defra Biodiversity Metric to calculate the potential value of the proposed biodiversity enhancements.

The habitats included in the proposed development included: buildings, hardstanding, amenity grassland, lowland calcareous grassland, wildflower meadows, ponds, shrubs and urban trees. The existing species-rich hedgerows on the boundaries would be retained.

What was the outcome for the client?

We concluded that the proposed development would deliver an uplift of 40% net gain, a significant overall enhancement. This increase was due to the low ecological value of the existing site in tandem with the creation of habitats of ecological value. These proposed habitats included wildflower meadows, lowland calcareous grassland and ponds which are of ecological value and would contribute to both national and local biodiversity targets. In addition to these habitats other features were further recommended by our ecologists, such as bird and bat boxes, log piles and invertebrate habitats.