Potland Burn, Northumberland

Potland Burn

Northumberland

With the global and national imperative of nature recovery, the introduction of statutory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) into the planning process has been a positive opportunity to build in ecological enhancement for new development.

Whilst this rightly means that greater priority is given to habitat retention, BNG has however proved challenging on sites where scope for mitigation is limited or the habitats required to satisfy are not easily created. Some schemes must look at off-site alternatives so as to achieve their statutory obligations. Most commonly this is open mosaic habitat associated with derelict brownfield sites.

Advance Northumberland have created a new company called Advance Green Futures, as a positive response to create and enhance habitats to deliver theses measurable ‘portions, of biodiversity.

Potland Burn was conceived as a solution to the loss of open mosaic habitat at a significant new industrial development in Northumberland where on site mitigation was not possible and there were not enough habitat units available to buy on the private market.

Recently restored after surface mining, the 275 hectare site at Potland Burn does not contain any valuable habitats or soils and was therefore ideal for the creation of new and enhanced habitats.

Whilst the habitat will not be open mosaic, it will be a highly complex mosaic of grassland, scrub and wetlands on a large scale and linked to the Southeast Northumberland Habitat Network which means that it can be used as an alternative to open mosaic credits.

Colour have supported Advance Green Futures to develop design proposals for this complex mosaic, working closely with their team of ecologists to understand the final goals of the habitat creation and translate this into a broad range of works including:

Earthworks to create ponds and bunds as no material will be taken off site
Large scale hedgerow and scrub planting
Ditch creation to link up existing and proposed water bodies
Balancing of areas in order to achieve the ratios of habitats required for this highly complex mosaic type

All design has been informed by best practice and guidelines provided by the ecology team

Once the site and ecological model was established, construction has progressed at pace as credits will be available for purchased by local development sites.

This combination of technical landscape design and habitat creation facilitated is true to the practice purpose, vision and values of Colour with such an opportunity to have a positive impact on both nature recovery and the stunning Northumbrian rural landscape.

Updates to follow Summer 2026 and on !