Housing and habitats: reimagining the balance

Combining Wates’ expertise in planning and development with its passion for sustainability, it offers end-toend support for developers navigating the purchase of offsite BNG units, ensuring planning conditions are discharged quickly and efficiently. 

Created by developers, for developers, Wates Wildscape is a trusted and reliable route to meeting nature-related planning obligations that delivers for house builders, planning authorities and nature.

Habitats that lift ecosystems

At the heart of Wates Wildscape is the creation of high-quality, ecologically valuable habitat sites. The division’s first habitat site, sitting in the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council and the High Weald National Character Area, brings Wates’ ambition to life.

A former 17-hectare maize field is being transformed into a rich mosaic of grassland, scrub, hedgerows, wet woodland and ponds. Bordering the River Medway, the site includes high-quality riparian planting and the removal of invasive species – ensuring the scheme both generates much-needed watercourse units for the BNG market and improves water quality.

This is not mitigation by numbers; it is nature recovery and long-term stewardship, creating thriving habitats that strengthen biodiversity and environmental resilience.

Expertise with purpose

“We are acutely aware that nature is struggling, and we want to play a more direct part in helping it recover,” says Olivia Dear, sustainability and Wates Wildscape director at WL&D.

“Wates Wildscape is our way of reimagining the balance between housing and habitats. By creating offsite, nature-based BNG solutions, we are providing high-quality, assured and sustainable options for the industry to meet its obligations and ultimately, ensure nature thrives.”

For David Brocklebank, executive managing director of WL&D, the initiative is integral to the business’ long-term strategy:

“Wates Wildscape is more than a business initiative; it is an integral part of our sustainability strategy. We are combining our strategic land expertise, our commitment to the environment and our expert knowledge of planning and development to help our sector meet environmental targets while also supporting local nature recovery.

“We are fully invested in ensuring the BNG market functions properly, to improve the world around us for future generations.”

A partner developers can trust

Wates Wildscape is structured to give developers confidence: credible sites, robust design and a straightforward route to compliant offsite BNG units.

Make nature part of your development story.

To discuss how Wates Wildscape can support your next scheme, email: olivia.dear@wates.co.uk. For more on Wates Land and Development and the Wates Wildscape offer, visit wates.co.uk/wates-wildscape