Invest in High-Integrity Biodiversity Net Gain in Wiltshire

A trusted supplier of Biodiversity Units from impactful nature recovery projects at our flagship Learning Hub for nature-friendly farming & green finance.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust has developed a bespoke portfolio of nature-based projects designed and managed by our specialist in-house teams to deliver biodiversity units for voluntary investors or to meet planning requirements under Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation. Our team of ecologists have already worked on the development of pioneering nature markets in the BNG space and supported over 100 landholders in the design of projects to deliver units, so you can be confident the units supplied are meaningful, verified and of the highest integrity.

Why choose our units?

High Integrity: Our units are backed by the Wildlife Trust brand, ensuring your investment delivers measurable, lasting ecological value.
30-Year Security: All BNG sites are legally and financially secured for a minimum of 30 years, managed by our expert ecology teams with clear management plans and monitoring in place
Mosaic of habitats: We currently have a range of unit types from wood pasture and watercourse, through to grassland and individual trees.
Local Impact: We ensure your investment supports nature recovery in Wiltshire, benefiting the communities where you live, work or build.
Independent Oversight: The credits available are overseen by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIOWWT) as our independent Responsible Body.
We provide the full framework—legal, financial, and ecological—so you can secure units with confidence and be part of a flagship nature recovery project.

Arable field in crop with path down the side and trees in background

High-Integrity Units

We offer a seamless, legally robust pathway for developers to meet their obligations while delivering genuine, local ecological impact delivered by Wiltshire Wildlife Trust in partnership with the National Trust. We currently have 60+ units available from a range of habitat types:

Broad habitat	Specific habitat	Distinctiveness
Grassland/Woodland	Wood pasture and parkland	Very high
Watercourse	Other rivers and streams	High
Hedgerow	Species rich native hedgerow with trees	High
Grassland	Other neutral grassland	Medium
Woodland	Other woodland; broadleaved	Medium
Individual trees	Rural trees	Medium
Heathland and shrub	Mixed scrub	Medium

If you would like to enquire about securing any of the listed unit types or maybe you have an upcoming requirement and would like to work with us to develop a suitable offsite nature based project, please contact naturerecoveryteam@wiltshirewildlife.org.

Our ambition with Green Finance

It is widely accepted that the UK is facing a nature and climate emergency with significant habitat and species loss. It is estimated that the UK requires between £44-97 billion in additional investment over the next decade to achieve the necessary ambitious goals to restore and protect nature – this is known as the ‘nature recovery financing gap’. This gap exists because current public funding, while important, is insufficient to meet the scale of the challenge, requiring significant private investment to bridge the gap.

Nature is in crisis, but there is real and growing opportunity for recovery. Wiltshire is uniquely placed to lead the way. With around 80% of the county’s landscape farmed, some of the country’s most important chalk streams, and a rich mosaic of habitats shaped by centuries of land management, Wiltshire holds the ingredients needed to deliver nature recovery at scale.

Our work at Great Chalfield is part of a long-term vision to transform a 140-hectare farm into a thriving, nature-rich landscape, demonstrating how farming, water, and wildlife can work together. We’re bringing together our experience in habitat design and restoration, hydrology, ecology and green finance, namely BNG, to drive forward our work on this farm and more widely in Wiltshire. Biodiversity Net Gain forms one of many nascent markets which could help drive private finance towards meaningful impact on the ground and we want to ensure it is delivered to the highest standards.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Biodiveristy Net Gain (BNG)?

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to building homes, businesses and infrastructure which ensures habitats are left in a measurably better state than they were pre-development. This means that applicable developments in England must restore any biodiversity lost during the building phase and deliver a 10% minimum net gain, unless they are exempt.

BNG became a mandatory requirement for major developments from 12 February 2024 and small sites from 2 April 2024 under the Environment Act 2021. It requires developers to submit and deliver a BNG plan that demonstrates how a minimum 10% increase in biodiversity value will be achieved, either onsite or in combination with securing offsite units. If relevant habitat units cannot be generated onsite or purchased offsite, statutory credits are available via a central government platform as a last resort. The BNG plan must be agreed with a relevant body, a Responsible Body or the Local Planning Authority, before the development begins.

Where developers cannot achieve the necessary 10% uplift onsite, they will be required to secure units offsite, from third-party landholders. You can read more about BNG here.

What are Biodiversity Units?

Biodiversity units are the standard, non-monetary measurement used to quantify the ecological value of land for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) to assess habitat losses and gains. They help developers prove they are increasing overall biodiversity by at least 10%.

Can Biodiveristy Units be purchased voluntarily to invest?

Yes. Biodiveristy units can be purchased voluntarily as either a form of investment or to simply support our work to support natures recovery. It can provide a useful metric to quantify your impact on the landscape.