Triodos Bank UK backs Nature Impact's acquisition of 102-acre Kent farm for habitat restoration

Nature Impact, a UK natural capital developer, has acquired a 102-acre site in Wrotham, Kent to restore degraded farmland into permanently protected habitats, backed by financing from Triodos Bank UK. 

The acquisition marks Nature Impact's third habitat bank site and the latest step in its ongoing partnership with Triodos Bank, following earlier projects in Kent and East Sussex. 

The Wrotham Hill Nature Reserve will see underutilised grade 3 farmland, alongside ancient woodland and hedgerows, restored and permanently dedicated to nature, with habitats secured and independently monitored under the UK's Biodiversity Net Gain framework. The site will be transformed into a diverse range of native habitats, including wildflower meadows, traditional orchards and wildlife corridors, aligned with local nature recovery priorities and designed to support a wide range of British wildlife.  

The project will also focus on community engagement and social benefit. Nature Impact has established a dedicated Community Benefit Society to support local access to the site, with future initiatives focused on local food production, education programmes and wellbeing, creating long-term value for both communities and ecosystems. By creating opportunities for local involvement, the project aims to strengthen connections between people and nature, alongside delivering measurable biodiversity gains.  

The new site adds to Nature Impact's growing portfolio of high-integrity habitat bank projects since it was founded in 2023. With sites across Kent and East Sussex, and a wider pipeline developing across Southern England, the organisation is building a network of large-scale nature recovery projects designed to deliver long-term benefits for both biodiversity and local communities. 

Nature Impact's projects are financed through the sale of measurable biodiversity improvements, supplied to both the mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) market and its recently launched Nature Credits offering for voluntary buyers. Together, these mechanisms channel private investment into high-quality UK habitat restoration, delivering permanent gains for both project partners and the natural environment. 

Tom Nelson, co-founder of Nature Impact, said: "After the success of our previous projects, securing funding for Wrotham Farm allows us to restore land at scale and commit it to nature permanently. The project builds on our wider work in Kent and East Sussex, demonstrating how habitat banks can deliver long-term benefits for nature and communities." 

Simon Crichton, head of the nature and resource team at Triodos Bank UK, added: "We're always really pleased to see a customer go from strength to strength, returning to us for further finance as their impact expands. It's projects like this that will deliver lasting benefits for both the natural environment and local community – demonstrating the impact that the BNG scheme can have when executed well."