A former brickshale quarry in West Lancashire is set to be transformed into a long-term habitat bank, with plans to create meadows, woodland and wetland environments to support Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements linked to future development.
The 29.5-hectare Dalton Quarry site previously supplied materials for brick manufacturing and will now be managed as a protected ecological asset designed to generate biodiversity units for developers across the North West.
The site spans the Lancashire Coal Measures and the Lancashire and Amounderness Plain National Character Areas, placing it within reach of development activity from Blackpool and Chorley to St Helens and Knowsley.
Landowner Ibstock Plc has appointed Green Earth Developments Group (GEDG) to deliver a 30-year habitat creation and management programme at the site.
Habitat bank to deliver woodland, wetland and meadow systems
The restoration plan includes lowland meadow, floodplain wetland mosaic, open mosaic habitat, lowland mixed deciduous woodland, hedgerows and aquatic habitat creation.
Initial works will focus on remodelling the quarry floor to restore natural drainage patterns, enhancing woodland stream corridors and establishing species-rich grassland across former agricultural land.
The scheme will operate under a 30-year stewardship model, with five years of habitat creation followed by 25 years of active management and ecological monitoring.
Oversight will be provided through a Natural England-approved Responsible Body for the duration of the programme.
GEDG chairman Simon Towers said the site demonstrates how former mineral extraction land can be repurposed to support biodiversity delivery linked to construction activity.
“Dalton Quarry captures exactly what Biodiversity Net Gain should be about. This is a site that helped build communities for decades through the supply of construction materials.
“Now it can support the next generation of development in a different way, by creating the biodiversity units projects need while delivering meaningful nature recovery at scale.
“Too often, the debate around BNG focuses on metrics and numbers. The bigger opportunity is transformation.
“Former mineral sites like this can become some of the most valuable environmental assets in the country when backed by long-term investment, expert management and the right ecological vision.”
Brownfield land role in housing and infrastructure delivery
The habitat bank will combine grassland, wetland, woodland and hedgerow habitats designed to support long-term ecological diversity and species establishment.
GEDG has appointed Middlemarch Environmental, part of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, to provide ongoing ecological monitoring throughout the 30-year management period.
The site’s nutrient-poor soils are expected to support species-rich grassland and open mosaic habitats, which are increasingly used within Biodiversity Net Gain strategies due to their suitability for wildflowers and invertebrates.
GEDG said brownfield and former mineral sites are becoming increasingly important in meeting both environmental and development objectives, particularly where conventional agricultural land is less suitable for biodiversity creation.
Simon Towers added: “If the UK is serious about building the homes and infrastructure it needs while reversing ecological decline, we need to think bigger about the land already available to us. Sites like Dalton Quarry offer exactly that opportunity.”
Long-term stewardship model includes community engagement
Nick Spence, Planning and Estates Manager at Ibstock, said the project builds on the company’s wider approach to land restoration following mineral extraction.
“Dalton Quarry has supported local communities for generations through the supply of essential building materials. Alongside this, Ibstock has built a strong track record of restoring land responsibly, often exceeding restoration obligations once quarries or land are no longer operational.
“This partnership with Green Earth builds on that foundation – enabling the land to continue playing a role in supporting local future development, while also delivering long-term biodiversity, environmental and economic benefit.”
GEDG also plans to introduce engagement activity with local schools and community groups as part of the long-term stewardship programme, alongside opportunities focused on education and wellbeing.
