Halnaker Hill Farm Embarks on Landmark 330-Acre Restoration, Blending Heritage Farmland with Biodiversity Net Gain

More than 300 acres of historic farmland in the South Downs National Park are being restored to nature in what is set to become one of the most significant Biodiversity Net Gain projects ever carried out in the United Kingdom.

The work is taking place at Halnaker Hill Farm near Chichester in West Sussex, where 330 acres will be returned to the kind of natural landscape that existed centuries ago. The land will once again host a diverse patchwork of habitats, including hedgerows, grasslands, ponds, woodlands, and wildflower meadows.

The project has been registered with both the South Downs National Park Authority and Natural England, and it represents one of the largest single Biodiversity Net Gain land banks in the country in terms of available units. A total of 856 units will be made available to both the mandatory and voluntary markets, providing developers, businesses, and individuals with the opportunity to support biodiversity recovery and combat climate change directly.

Under the Environment Act 2021, developers in the UK are required to deliver at least a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain on their sites. When that cannot be achieved on location, they must purchase off-site units. This scheme will supply those much-needed credits. Beyond developers, the project also appeals to corporations looking to strengthen their ESG commitments and to private individuals eager to contribute to environmental restoration.

Halnaker Hill Natural Capital owns Halnaker Hill Farm, while Kingsbridge, a prominent developer of commercial projects in the region, manages the commercial aspects of the scheme. For decades, the land had been intensively farmed for wheat, beginning in the 1970s. The widespread use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides during that time degraded the soil and left biodiversity levels alarmingly low.

Greg Lukasiewicz, Sales & Marketing Director at Halnaker Hill Natural Capital, said: “Halnaker Hill Farm is one of the largest BNG Nature banks in the UK, generating over 850 available BNG units, providing us with an outstanding opportunity to restore hundreds of acres of farmland through regenerative farming methods.

“Since HHNC acquired the site in 2024, we have been at work and have already seen the landscape transform from intensively farmed land to a green haven for wildlife, as the grassland, new trees, and hedgerows that we have already planted are given the space to thrive.

“We are excited to launch Halnaker Hill Farm to the market, setting a new benchmark for sustainable, regenerative farming while helping to meet the BNG needs of developers, and providing organisations and individuals with a responsible way to invest in biodiversity and the fight against climate change.”

Chris Fry, CEO of Kingsbridge, said: “We are immensely proud to play our part in the success of Halnaker Hill Farm, a project which aligns with our values as a commercial developer that puts sustainability at the heart of its business.

“Together, our shared passion for environmental responsibility and for the restoration of this beautiful, historic landscape will create a unique, sustainable legacy that will have a positive effect on the environment for generations to come.” 

The site itself has a deep history. The iconic eighteenth-century Halnaker Windmill overlooks Halnaker Hill, and evidence suggests that a Neolithic settlement once stood there. The restoration plan takes inspiration from an eighteenth-century map produced by Yeakell and Gardener for the “Great Survey of Sussex.” That map illustrates how farmers worked in harmony with nature long before industrial farming techniques became prevalent.

Many of those historic features are now being carefully re-created. Hedgerows are being restored to their original positions. Over twenty thousand trees are being planted by hand. Wildlife corridors are being re-established, ponds and wildflower meadows are being created, and traditional livestock such as sheep and Sussex cattle are returning to the land.

The project spans two Natural Character Areas, the South Coast Plain and the South Downs. Together, these areas will host a rich range of habitats of medium and high distinctiveness, from chalk grasslands to mixed scrub, woodland, ponds, and thriving hedgerows.

By blending historical knowledge with modern regenerative farming and conservation techniques, Halnaker Hill Farm is being transformed into a living landscape that both honours its past and secures its ecological future.