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Exploring Boothby Wildland and Biodiversity Net Gain in action

Creating places where people and nature can thrive is central to Phoenix Strategic Land’s approach to development.

Working alongside Ardena Homes, the business is delivering Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for a new development in Bourne through Boothby Wildland, where habitat restoration is helping restore nature and enhance biodiversity across Lincolnshire.

To see the project first-hand, Phoenix Strategic Land's Joint Managing Director, David Morris, and Senior Technical Coordinator, Jasmine Dunlop-Holmes, recently visited Boothby Wildland near Grantham.

Hosted by the Nattergal team, including Chief Operating Officer Claire Traynor and Partnerships and Community Manager Lorienne Whittle, the visit gave them the opportunity to explore the 617-hectare rewilding project and learn more about its vision, progress and the benefits it is already delivering for nature and local communities.

Boothby Wildland, a former arable farm acquired by Nattergal in 2021, is undergoing an ambitious programme of habitat restoration. Through ecological management and natural regeneration, the site is supporting the return of wildlife and creating more diverse habitats across the landscape.

Walking the site, David and Jasmine saw first-hand how habitats are developing and wildlife is returning. One of the highlights was learning more about the project's pioneering beaver reintroduction programme. Living within a secure 200-hectare enclosure along the West Glen River, the beavers are helping slow water flows, create wetlands and reshape the landscape in ways that support biodiversity and improve environmental resilience.

The visit also highlighted Boothby Wildland's wider impact. More than 80 volunteers are now involved in practical conservation work and ecological monitoring, while the newly published Boothby Wildland Impact Report showcases the environmental and community benefits already being delivered across the site.

For Phoenix Strategic Land and Ardena Homes, Boothby Wildland provides a local, long-term solution for delivering Biodiversity Net Gain, ensuring investment linked to the Bourne development remains within Lincolnshire while supporting nature recovery.

David Morris said: "It was fantastic to visit Boothby Wildland and see first-hand the scale of the restoration taking place. Hearing from the Nattergal team about the vision for the site and the progress already being made really demonstrates the positive impact Biodiversity Net Gain can have when delivered through the right partnerships.

"As we continue to bring forward new developments with Ardena Homes, we're committed to creating places that not only benefit future residents but also leave a lasting positive legacy for the natural environment. Boothby Wildland is an excellent example of how sustainable development and nature recovery can work hand in hand."

The visit reinforced Phoenix Strategic Land's commitment to responsible land promotion and sustainable development, while demonstrating how partnerships like this can deliver lasting benefits for both people and nature.

View more Case studies

BECCLES, EAST SUFFOLK

BECCLES, EAST SUFFOLK

A vision for a new garden neighbourhood We hold an Option Agreement over two thirds of the southern allocated site at Beccles – which incorporates 720 of the proposed homes, as well as employment land, education facilities, retail and other complimentary land uses. The vision for the site is built on the principles of Garden Villages, which are an approach to urban development dating as far back as the 1920s with the creation of Welwyn Garden City. Today, garden villages, neighbourhoods and cities are defined by healthy living, associated community and employment areas and amenities that sustain communities to be self-sufficient. This site brings our decades of experience together, with our team having been involved in creating multiple 1,000+ home communities across the East Midlands and East Anglia regions. Extensive engagement with local communities The site is identified in the East Suffolk plan for a development of 1,250 new homes plus supporting infrastructure. Our outline planning application has been the subject of considerable pre-application discussion with the Local Planning Authority (LPA) and other statutory consultees over several years to address major environmental and infrastructure matters associated with the site’s master planning and development. We’ve also consulted with communities as recently as September 2024. While this delayed submission of the planning application, we saw as part of our development strategy, that these major issues should be resolved prior to submission of the outline planning application – to ensure an earlier and more informed determination once submitted. This is an example of navigating the planning system smartly, of knowing when and and how to submit your application in a manner that will give it the best chance of success. Delivering large-scale sites If approved, Phoenix Strategic Land is also in agreement to promote the commercial areas secured under the planning permission to a range of retail and commercial end users. This is a site that demonstrates the ability of our team to successfully manage large scale development through contracting, promotion to secure an allocation, and the problem solving that is so often a key requirement for major scale residential land promotion.
Learn more about BECCLES, EAST SUFFOLK
GLINTON, PETERBOROUGH

GLINTON, PETERBOROUGH

Responding to landowners and engaging communities Located just to the north of Peterborough, the site at Glinton was originally held under an Option Agreement and promoted for residential development in 2017 and 2018. However, after an initial planning application was refused, the landowner expressed an interest in selling the freehold and Phoenix Strategic Land purchased the site without a planning status.In 2023 and 2024, we started promoting the site through the LPA Local Plan review alongside pre-application public consultation – which proactively consulted and communicated with stakeholders and the local community
about the proposal. Navigating a complex planning system Phoenix submitted an outline planning application in September 2024. While this was refused by the LPA in February 2025, the site was subsequently identified as a draft allocation in the Local Plan review, published in April 2025. We had already decided to appeal the LPA’s refusal of planning permission, with a belief in the potential of the site to address local need – and because of the site’s draft allocation status in the Local Plan, the LPA decided not to contest our planning appeal, and we received planning permission in July 2025. Delivering housing, green space and biodiversity This was a site that demonstrates the complexity of the planning system, the time it can take to successfully achieve planning approval – and our flexibility in meeting the needs and wishes of the landowner. Alongside the consented 95 new homes, our plans include a wildflower meadow, public open space, and allotments as part of green infrastructure and biodiversity net gain (BNG) to make the development a sustainable and pleasant addition to the village of Glinton.
Learn more about GLINTON, PETERBOROUGH

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