102-acre Kent farm taken out of production for nature project

A Kent farm is being taken out of agricultural production and transformed into a permanent nature reserve, as private investment in biodiversity projects accelerates.

Nature Impact has acquired a 102-acre site at Wrotham, backed by Triodos Bank UK, with plans to restore the land into protected habitats under the UK’s Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) framework.

The move marks the company’s third habitat bank and highlights the growing role of environmental markets in shaping land use, as developers fund biodiversity improvements to offset construction impacts.

However, the shift is likely to raise wider questions within the farming sector about the loss of productive agricultural land, particularly at a time when food security and domestic production remain high on the agenda.

The site, now named Wrotham Hill Nature Reserve, includes underperforming grade 3 farmland alongside ancient woodland and hedgerows. It will be converted into habitats such as wildflower meadows, traditional orchards and wildlife corridors to support native species.

Under BNG rules, these habitats will be measured, secured and monitored long-term, with biodiversity gains sold to developers to meet legal requirements or to voluntary buyers through emerging “nature credit” markets.

Nature Impact said the project will also focus on local engagement, with a Community Benefit Society set up to improve access and support initiatives around food production, education and wellbeing.

The company, founded in 2023, is building a portfolio of similar projects across southern England, with further sites in development.

Co-founder Tom Nelson said the latest acquisition would allow the business to expand its work.

“Securing funding for Wrotham Farm allows us to restore land at scale and commit it to nature permanently,” he said, adding that it “demonstrates how habitat banks can deliver long-term benefits for nature and communities”.

Triodos Bank UK, which has backed multiple projects by the company, said the scheme reflects increasing demand for investment in environmental outcomes.

Simon Crichton, head of nature and resource at the bank, said it shows “the impact that the BNG scheme can have when executed well”.

The project underlines a wider shift towards privately funded nature recovery, as land is increasingly repurposed to deliver measurable environmental gains — though the balance between environmental goals and food production is likely to remain a key issue for the sector.