A former brickshale quarry in West Lancashire is set to be transformed into a long-term habitat bank, with the site positioned to generate Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units for housing and infrastructure schemes across the North West.
The 29.5-hectare Dalton Quarry site, which previously supplied raw materials for brick manufacturing, will be managed as a protected ecological asset designed to support demand for biodiversity units linked to future development activity.
The site sits within the Lancashire Coal Measures and the Lancashire and Amounderness Plain National Character Areas, providing coverage across key development corridors 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 former quarry.
Habitat bank designed to align with Biodiversity Net Gain requirements
The restoration programme will deliver a mix of lowland meadow, floodplain wetland mosaic, open mosaic habitat, lowland mixed deciduous woodland, hedgerows and aquatic environments.
Initial works will focus on reshaping the quarry floor to restore natural drainage, enhancing woodland stream corridors and transitioning former agricultural land into species-rich grassland.
The scheme will operate under a 30-year stewardship model, comprising five years of habitat creation followed by 25 years of ongoing management and ecological monitoring, with oversight provided by a Natural England-approved Responsible Body.
GEDG said the long-term approach is designed to provide a consistent pipeline of biodiversity units to support construction activity across the region.
Simon Towers, chairman of Green Earth Developments Group, said the site demonstrates how former mineral extraction land can be repositioned to support both construction and environmental outcomes.
“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 increasingly linked to materials legacy and development pipeline
The habitat bank will integrate grassland, wetland, woodland and hedgerow systems designed to support long-term ecological diversity and species establishment, with a focus on habitats suited to Biodiversity Net Gain delivery.
GEDG has appointed ecological consultancy Middlemarch Environmental, part of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, to carry out monitoring across 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 in BNG schemes due to their ability to deliver measurable biodiversity uplift.
GEDG said former mineral and brownfield sites such as Dalton Quarry are becoming a more important component of both land management and construction-linked biodiversity strategies, particularly where agricultural land is less suitable for habitat 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 links restoration with local engagement
Nick Spence, Planning and Estates Manager at Ibstock, said the project builds on the company’s approach to post-extraction land use and restoration of mineral sites within its wider materials operations.
“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 stewardship programme, alongside wider education and wellbeing initiatives linked to the site.
