Natural England

Type of development
Community
Partners
Natural England
Location
Natural England, Various Sites
Year
2024
Eden has been engaged to support Natural England’s investment programme aimed at delivering high-quality, energy-efficient reserve base buildings across five UK sites. These developments are crucial for the effective management and enjoyment of valuable natural spaces.
Our role includes providing strategic planning advice, preparing comprehensive pre-application statements, and engaging with local planning authorities (LPAs). We have also managed the preparation and submission of planning applications, including detailed “very special circumstances” cases where required.
Each of the five sites presents unique environmental and landscape challenges, as they are located in or near sensitive areas such as the Peak District National Park, Green Belt land, National Nature Reserves, and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Careful consideration, mitigation, and negotiation with LPAs have been essential throughout the process.
We successfully secured planning permission for a new reserve base at Lower Derwent within the York Green Belt, with officers accepting our “very special circumstances” case. Additionally, we obtained approval for a bird hide to further support Natural England’s ambitions for the reserve. More recently, we gained prior approval for an agricultural building at Middle Hay in the Peak District National Park. Currently, we are progressing an application to enhance the reserve base at Ingleborough in the Yorkshire Dales National Park.