Delivering environmental stewardship across an estate

This article focuses on the Whole Estate Planning core principle that an estate should generate a positive environmental impact.

In accordance with Lake District National Park Authority guidance, our Whole Estate Plan (WEP) for Higham Estate ensures that the estate is not only financially sustainable and aligned with community aspirations, but that it also actively enhances the environment.

The Whole Estate Planning process is holistic, recognising that every element of an estate is interconnected: land, heritage, biodiversity, economy and community.

At Higham, we established a core vision that the estate should become a community dedicated to preserving and enhancing its spectacular landscape, wildlife and cultural heritage in every action and decision, ensuring their sustainability for future generations.

Understanding the landscape

Higham Estate sits at the heart of important conservation efforts. It lies within two nationally protected environmental areas, Bassenthwaite Lake and the River Derwent, both designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Areas of Conservation.

To begin, we worked with professional consultants to carry out a detailed assessment of the estate, mapping out habitats and identifying which were performing well or poorly in terms of biodiversity, and where there was the greatest potential for improvement.

We then overlaid these findings with the estate’s vision to see where the real opportunities could be found that will deliver the greatest biodiversity gains and long-term environmental value.

Creating benefits for nature and the estate

This process naturally benefits the environment, but it also has clear advantages for the landowner. When environmental benefits are clearly demonstrated, planners are more likely to give material consideration to the overall plan, enabling the estate to progress the economic developments it wishes to achieve.

Our analysis of the ecological findings also identified which habitats and environmental assets best align with the special qualities that qualify this area for National Park and World Heritage Site status.

For example, one of those special qualities is ‘wealth of habitats and wildlife’ and we were able to demonstrate that Higham encompasses a diverse range of habitats including lake and riverbanks, lowland fens, ponds, parkland, farmland, deciduous and coniferous woodlands.

Enhancing biodiversity

We can add weight to our environmental credentials on the estate by looking at areas that are performing poorly for biodiversity and finding ways to improve them. For instance, the estate’s areas of ‘modified grassland’. These are fields which have been intensively grazed leading to a single grass species dominating. Part of the long-term plan is that these areas will be reseeded with a native mix of grasses to improve biodiversity.

Areas of wet woodland and lowland fen, currently categorised by an ecologist as being in moderate condition, have significant potential to improve. These will become a centrepiece of the estate – an ecological Heart of Higham that will attract birds and wildlife.

Ongoing maintenance is vital to preserve biodiversity. At Higham, unsuitable tree species are infiltrating wet woodland, in time these could lead to it drying up and the loss of the habitat, so we plan to remove those trees and create more wet areas.

Aligning environmental opportunity with estate vision

Overlaying environmental opportunities with the estate’s vision revealed further synergies. We identified that along with developing new accommodation on the estate, we can also create this priority habitat with a high degree of biodiversity and ecology at the centre.

Selective tree planting will not only enhance biodiversity but also provide future screening for lodges once trees have matured in five to ten years’ time.

At the start of the process, the landowner was cautious about greenwash and the idea of simply ticking eco boxes. Through the Whole Estate Planning process, we were able to demonstrate how environmental improvements could directly benefit the estate in the long run.

Delivering net gains in biodiversity

Under planning requirements, any new development – such as the Heart of Higham – must achieve a minimum 10% Biodiversity Net Gain.

Higham Estate has the opportunity to meet this requirement internally and to generate a surplus that can be sold to other developers or organisations. This provides both an environmental benefit and a new potential income stream for the estate.

Integrating community and environmental benefits

Environmental improvements at Higham also align closely with community aspirations. We have identified opportunities to create active travel routes across the estate – tree-lined avenues that encourage sustainable access and connection with nature.
Buffer strips will be planted along the River Derwent to keep livestock away from the riverbank, preventing damage to habitats and supporting nutrient neutrality. These strips also help slow surface water helping to combat flooding.

Alongside new woodland planting, we will also be replacing the wood pasture or parkland which was historically an important part of the estate. Characterised by large veteran trees with stock grazing around them, this picturesque landscape is important to the area’s World Heritage Site status.

One striking example is the opportunity to improve a spectacular view of the Skiddaw range from nearby Higham Hall, now a separate business, by removing a conifer plantation and replanting with deciduous trees. By enhancing the beauty of the area, we hope once again to deliver for the community as well as for biodiversity.

Partnership and engagement

All new planting will be carried out strategically across the estate – the aim is not to simply increase tree numbers.
We have facilitated a partnership between the estate and a local community group that provides tree planting and woodland maintenance activity days for people with additional needs. This initiative allows participants to enjoy outdoor activity and forge meaningful connections with the landscape.

This project combines environmental stewardship with community engagement benefitting both people and place, and supporting the estate at no cost. It also represents another form of public access to the estate, which is highly valued by the National Park.