Crow Plain Farm BNG offset site

Site description

Crow Plain Farm extends to some 18 ha and is located approx. 2.7 km East of Paddock Wood and 9.5 km southwest of Maidstone. It sits within an agricultural patchwork in rural Kent nestled between the branches of the Teise and Lesser Teise rivers.

It is directly adjacent to the edge of the Medway & Low Weald Grassland & Wetland Biodiversity Opportunity Area, which is particularly valued for its watercourses and floodplain habitats. A stream runs along the eastern edge of the land and enters the BOA to the north where it feeds into the Medway.

The site is mostly farmed for cereal crops, though at its two southern corners are patches of woodlands which contain ponds. The southeastern fragment is classified as ancient woodland, meaning it has been continuously wooded since at least 1600, and likely contains plant species that only thrive in well-established woodland sites.

More woodland will be created along the southern edge of the site to join the two woodland fragments together and create a large, contiguous habitat. This will help enhance the woodland biodiversity of the area and give opportunities for local wildlife to develop larger, more stable populations.

A scrubby edge to the northern border of the woodland will provide important habitat for species which require woodland edge habitat. Many bird benefit from using open grassland to forage for food or sing to attract mates from a high perch on the scrub, while using the woodland for shelter and nesting sites. Examples include the red-listed nightingale and turtle dove, two birds which have previously been iconic parts of the British countryside and are now threatened with extinction after declining more than 90%. With breeding populations of both species present in surrounding landscape, it is hoped they will be encouraged to breed here in future years.

In addition, more trees will be planted across the site to extend the line of trees that is currently isolated in the middle of the field, creating a continuous corridor for wildlife to travel across the land.

Much of the site will transition from cereal cropland to low-input grassland, and the cessation of fertiliser use will reduce the nutrient input into the stream, which will improve water quality and allow more sensitive wildlife to return to it. In addition, new ponds will be created across the fields which will provide natural sources of drinking water for the animals used to manage the grassland, while also providing important habitat for wildlife including dragonflies, frogs, and newts. Ponds also help increase the capacity of the land to hold water, which may reduce flood risk downstream during heavy rain events.

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Habitat Transitions