Furnace Farm KWTProspective BNG offset site

Site description

Furnace Farm extends to some 57 ha and lies around 4.5 miles south-east of Royal Tunbridge Wells, between the villages of Hook Green and Lamberhurst.

The majority of the site currently comprises arable cropland with hedgerows, though it also contains river corridor habitat and fragments of ancient woodlands that fall within the Local Wildlife Site TW12 Woods and Pasture near River Teise above Lamberhurst. At least 38 ancient woodland indicator species have been recorded in these woodlands since 1996, suggesting they have been continually wooded for hundreds of years.

The site is to be formally surveyed in spring 2024, with BNG units becoming available later in the year and biodiversity-enhancing management starting from September. Though habitat proposals have not yet been finalised, we hope to enhance the condition of existing high value habitats and convert the cropland into a mosaic of woodland, grassland and scrub.

Proposals will be designed to improve connectivity between existing woodland fragments and support the biodiversity of the Local Wildlife Site. With a significant portion of the river Teise running through the site, we expect that enhancements to this will provide waterway BNG units. In addition, wet areas of the site will be designed to hold water during heavy rain events, potentially reducing flood risk for local settlements.