Wilder Doddington has officially launched The New Orchard, its first Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Habitat Bank, and is proud to announce the purchase of Units by the NHS.
The New Orchard will see the Wilder Doddington team transform a former pony paddock into a high‑value Habitat Bank, creating measurable gains for wildlife. The New Orchard will provide an accountable and transparent source of Biodiversity Net Gain Units to offset the development of the new endoscopy unit at Lincoln County Hospital, helping it meet regulatory requirements and ensure long-term, measurable benefits for wildlife and habitats in Lincolnshire.
“We are extremely excited to be able to offer sites for Biodiversity Net Gain at Wilder Doddington,” said Claire Birch, Owner of the Doddington Estate. “We have an ambitious programme for nature recovery across our whole estate. It is brilliant that our first buyer is the NHS because we know that being in nature is incredibly valuable for health. From the start, we have wanted as many people as possible to visit and benefit from Wilder Doddington, whether from learning about nature, getting hands-on as volunteers, or feeling the wonderful sense of connection and wellbeing that simply taking some quiet time in nature can give.”
Mike Parkhill, Group Chief Estates and Facilities Officer for Lincolnshire Community and Hospitals NHS Group, said: “We are excited to partner with Wilder Doddington to plant more trees, enhance habitats, and support the green agenda as part of our new endoscopy build at Lincoln County Hospital. This partnership means that as we are improving health care for the residents of Lincolnshire, we are also contributing to a beautiful place for them to enjoy.”
Doddington’s flagship Habitat Bank, The New Orchard, will see land near the Georgie Twigg Track nurtured into a visibly thriving, species‑rich meadow interplanted with wide rows of climate‑resilient fruit and nut trees. As the primary buyer, the NHS has worked with the Wilder team to plan the habitat development to aid nature recovery on the site, ensuring resilience and long‑term stability.
The New Orchard is the first of three BNG Habitat Banks – The New Orchard, The Woodland, and The Wild Land – legally secured at Doddington to meet regional demand for Biodiversity Net Gain over the next 30 years. The creation of these Habitat Banks will ensure a simple process and streamlined transactions for buyers of BNG units, and a choice of different habitat types.
Unlike isolated schemes, Wilder Doddington Habitat Banks are sited within the single biggest inland nature site in Lincolnshire and sit at the heart of the emerging regional Nature Recovery Network, so buyers will also be able to see their habitats develop over time. This vast scale ensures a level of climate and environmental resilience that ‘island’ Habitat Banks simply cannot match. Buyers benefit from a one-stop shop of diverse habitats, backed by the personal, multi-generational commitment of the owners and the deep expertise of the dedicated Wilder team.
Claire added, “The difference with Wilder Doddington is our personal commitment, not corporate returns. This is our family’s long-term commitment to restoring biodiversity across the East Midlands – a 400-year vision that we are personally stewarding. Our BNG sites are secured within the region’s largest inland nature area, making them uniquely resilient and meaningful. By purchasing our units, you’re supporting something truly enduring.”
Beyond securing full compliance with no long-term management or monitoring obligations, a partnership with Wilder Doddington opens the door to unique Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunities. From staff tours and micro-volunteering to client engagement, there are countless ways brands benefit from linking up with one of the top five rewilding sites in eastern England and the biggest inland site for nature in the county.
The development of Doddington’s BNG initiative is a proactive response to the new regulations that came into force in 2024, placing Greater Lincolnshire at the forefront of a nationwide effort to integrate nature recovery with new developments. Having become a legal requirement under the Environment Act 2021, BNG legislation mandates that new developments must have a 10% greater biodiversity value after completion than before they started.
Housebuilders, commercial developers, land owners, and infrastructure providers — and the architects and planning consultants who advise them — all now need to factor BNG into applications, delivering gains on‑site where possible or purchasing accredited offsite units where that’s the better route.
Doddington’s BNG units are legally secured through a Local Planning Authority-issued Section 106 agreement, underpinned by robust ecological baselining and ongoing monitoring by qualified ecologists using a standardised reporting mechanism. Critically, Doddington’s strategic approach to these projects will create place‑based impact: building wildlife corridors and addressing one of the lowest tree‑cover counties in the UK, with the provision of improving habitats on a destination estate known for environmental ambition.