Biodiversity Net Gain at Kings Mill Equestrian Bridge
As part of its national level crossing risk reduction programme Network Rail awarded the contract to AmcoGiffen to construct a new ramped bridleway across the railway, avoiding the Kings Mill Lane level crossing. This was to provide residents and other users with a safer passage over the railway.
As part of the scheme AmcoGiffen contracted our specialist ecological consultants JBA to undertake a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) and a biodiversity calculation. The original site impacted by the works consisted of a mixture of arable fields, semi-improved grassland, mixed broadleaved woodland and a species-poor hedgerow. The resulting score for the existing habitat using Network Rail’s Biodiversity Toolkit was a total of 2.66 Biodiversity Units. As part of the reinstatement works AmcoGiffen contracted JBA to design a landscaping scheme that would lead to a net positive biodiversity score and contracted Horizon Landscapes to undertake the planting.
This original habitat was enhanced by the planting of 463m2 of native species rich hedgerow on the northern side of the bridge and 0.5 hectares of native broadleaved woodland on the southern side, with 3 trees being planted for every 1 taken out, equating to 683 trees being planted and raising the total biodiversity score for the scheme to 19.8 biodiversity units.
This is an excellent example of how a scheme can benefit both the local community and wildlife
