Harpenden

Located near Harpenden in Hertfordshire, this habitat bank sits within The Chilterns National Character Area. Spanning 63 hectares of former intensive arable land in a high-demand development corridor, it delivers species-rich grassland, scrub, woodland and hedgerow units to support off-site Biodiversity Net Gain requirements across the Hertfordshire region.

Key Facts

• Register ref: TBC

• Local Planning Authority (LPA): Dacorum Borough Council

• National Character Area (NCA): The Chilterns

• HMMP: In progress

• Legal Agreement: Conservation Covenant

• Total units (indicative): 523.22 Biodiversity unit capacity
  

Overview

Cotton Spring Farm is a Wild Company habitat bank in Dacorum, managed for long-term ecological delivery within The Chilterns National Character Area.

The site has been transformed from intensively farmed arable land into a strategically placed stepping-stone habitat, delivering Lowland Meadow, Other Neutral Grassland, Mixed Scrub, Broadleaved Woodland and Species-rich Native Hedgerow — with the majority of units at Very High and Medium distinctiveness levels.

With over 523 units available, Cotton Spring Farm is one of the larger habitat banks serving the Hertfordshire market, strengthening the local Nature Recovery Network and providing a permanent refuge for local wildlife through legally protected habitats.

The Wild Company manages the full lifecycle of this site — from initial biodiversity metric assessments and formal registration, through to unit sales, allocation to local developers, and 30 years of on-site ecological delivery including seeding, conservation grazing and long-term monitoring.

Legals are currently being agreed via a Conservation Covenant. Units will be available for allocation upon registration.

For information on site suitability, allocation and next steps, please get in touch using the form below.