Badlesmere Court FarmBNG offset site

Local Planning Authority: Swale
National Character Area(s): North Downs
OS grid ref: TR 01229 55245
Postcode: ME13 0NL
What3words: ///blindfold.zoos.grower

Habitat units available - surveyed 2024

A total of 463.25 habitat units and 38.42 hedgerow units are available from the following habitat types:

Grassland

Other neutral grassland (Medium distinctiveness) - 444.99 units

Heathland and Shrub

Mixed scrub (Medium distinctiveness) - 16.42 units

Ponds and Lakes

Ponds (non-priority) - 1.68 units

Individual trees

Rural tree - 0.17 units

Hedgerows

Species-rich native hedgerow - 28.63 units

Line of trees - 3.09 units

Species-rich native hedgerow - associated with bank or ditch - 0.68 units

Species-rich native hedgerow with trees - 4.07 units

Line of trees - associated with bank or ditch - 0.32 units

Native hedgerow - 0.52 units

Ecologically valuable line of trees - 1.96 units

Site description

Badlesmere Court Farm extends to come 98 ha and is located 6.14 km south of Faversham, 1.26 km northeast of the village of Badlesmere. It lies within the Kent Downs National Landscape, which is prized for its mosaics of chalk downland, open pasture, and ancient woodlands interspersed with quaint villages.

It is around 600 m southwest of Lees Court Valley Local Wildlife Site (LWS), and Church of St Laurence LWS is 200 m to the west, while being adjacent to a network of chalk grassland and ancient woodland priority habitats.

Presently, the farm is managed as arable cropland with a modified grassland pasture on the northern part of the site, crisscrossed with hedgerows and lines of trees.

Habitat proposals include the creation of large areas of other neutral grassland with scattered scrub and ponds. Individual trees will be enhanced to a better condition.

These habitats could help support species recorded within a 1 km radius of the site such as: 

  • Bats including Natterer’s Bat, common pipistrelle, and Brown Long-eared bat
  • Birds including fulmar, white-fronted goose, pochard, merlin, lapwing, woodcock, whimbrel, turtle dove, cuckoo, swift, skylark, house martin, yellow wagtail, nightingale, fieldfare, spotted flycatcher, marsh tit, and corn bunting
  • Invertebrates including species of butterfly, bee, and stag beetles
  • Reptiles and amphibians including slow-worm, common toad, palate newt, smooth newt and common lizard 
  • Large mammals including fallow deer and Eurasian badger
  • Small mammals including West European Hedgehog and Eurasian common shrew

A range of hedgerow units are also available across the site with additional species-rich native hedgerows being planted.

Fill out a form at the bottom of this page or email your development's BNG metric to bngenquiries@adonisblue.org.uk for a free BNG consultation.

These units are valid for a maximum of two years, provided site conditions do not significantly change.  If more than two years have lapsed between the site survey and habitat works being undertaken, an updated survey will be necessary to ensure recommendations remain valid.

Habitat Transitions

Site Photos