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Maximising Natural Capital Benefits for Brownfield and Sustainable Development
This webinar took place on 19 September 2023 11.00am
Duration: 2hr
*WEBINAR CANCELLED*
Please note – we have made the decision to cancel the Maximising Natural Capital Benefits for Brownfield and Sustainable Development webinar. If you have registered already, please contact silc@silc.org,uk for a refund
Can development only be a threat to soil quality and natural habitats? How do we reconcile the competing needs of nature versus man? Too long we have underestimated the value and importance that the natural environment contributes to our well-being.
By taking a ‘natural capital’ approach to decision making, development can maximise eco goods and services whereby we can get more from our land. From the simple concept of delivering the ‘right land use in the right place’ to the more complex considerations of achieving and maintaining biodiversity or environmental net gain post-development.
This CPD webinar will explore how government seeks to support the reframing of nature in terms of the value to people and the economy to create sustainable development. Attendees will hear, through case study examples, about how organisations are already implementing this approach and the resulting benefits achieved.
PRESENTATIONS
Remediation and Sustainable Growth Tool – Development of Natural Capital Metrics for Land Remediation
Yolande Macklin, Jacobs and Dr. Darren Beriro, British Geological Survey
Yolande Macklin (Jacobs) and Darren Beriro (British Geological Survey) will present current research conducted for the Environment Agency on the development of a novel natural capital approach to evaluate the sustainability benefits from remediating and redeveloping contaminated brownfield sites. This proof-of-concept co-designed research is helping the EA develop new methods to measure and communicate the social, economic and environmental value of remediating contaminated sites to optimise the planning, funding and delivery of its land contamination functions.
What is Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and how does it apply to brownfield and remediation sites?
Jon Davies, Nature Positive
- Recognising the potential biodiversity value of brownfield land
- The implications of site remediation and restoration for biodiversity and other environmental receptors
- Carbon off-setting, public green space, water protection and other natural capital benefits
- The brownfield balancing act – when to develop and when not to?
- Case studies for brownfield sites
The Role of Land in Delivering Scotland’s Fourth National Planning Framework
David Stewart, Scottish Land Commission
Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4 is the national spatial framework for development until 2045. It has two overarching objectives – the delivery of net zero and biodiversity net gain.
Delivering this will require a fundamental shift in our development model, with a move from low density development on greenfield sites to a focus on land and building re-use. The presentation will draw on the Commission’s work on land for housing to look at how the development model of volume housebuilders works. Drawing on research on good practice in Scotland and in continental Europe, David will propose changes to the way we assemble land and shift development that could lead to better outcomes.
David will conclude with some thoughts on the potential to green pieces of vacant and derelict land and scope for natural capital to support the creation of green spaces and nature based solutions in urban Scotland.
SPONSORSHIP
SiLC have Headline, Gold, and Silver sponsorship packages available for this webinar. Sponsorship packages start from just £200. For package details please click HERE or email silc@silc.org.uk.
Can development only be a threat to soil quality and natural habitats? How do we reconcile the competing needs of nature versus man? Too long we have underestimated the value and importance that the natural environment contributes to our well-being.
By taking a ‘natural capital’ approach to decision making, development can maximise eco goods and services whereby we can get more from our land. From the simple concept of delivering the ‘right land use in the right place’ to the more complex considerations of achieving and maintaining biodiversity or environmental net gain post-development.
This CPD webinar will explore how government seeks to support the reframing of nature in terms of the value to people and the economy to create sustainable development. Attendees will hear, through case study examples, about how organisations are already implementing this approach and the resulting benefits achieved.
PRESENTATIONS
Remediation and Sustainable Growth Tool – Development of Natural Capital Metrics for Land Remediation
Yolande Macklin, Jacobs and Dr. Darren Beriro, British Geological Survey
Yolande Macklin (Jacobs) and Darren Beriro (British Geological Survey) will present current research conducted for the Environment Agency on the development of a novel natural capital approach to evaluate the sustainability benefits from remediating and redeveloping contaminated brownfield sites. This proof-of-concept co-designed research is helping the EA develop new methods to measure and communicate the social, economic and environmental value of remediating contaminated sites to optimise the planning, funding and delivery of its land contamination functions.
What is Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and how does it apply to brownfield and remediation sites?
Jon Davies, Nature Positive
- Recognising the potential biodiversity value of brownfield land
- The implications of site remediation and restoration for biodiversity and other environmental receptors
- Carbon off-setting, public green space, water protection and other natural capital benefits
- The brownfield balancing act – when to develop and when not to?
- Case studies for brownfield sites
The Role of Land in Delivering Scotland’s Fourth National Planning Framework
David Stewart, Scottish Land Commission
Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4 is the national spatial framework for development until 2045. It has two overarching objectives – the delivery of net zero and biodiversity net gain.
Delivering this will require a fundamental shift in our development model, with a move from low density development on greenfield sites to a focus on land and building re-use. The presentation will draw on the Commission’s work on land for housing to look at how the development model of volume housebuilders works. Drawing on research on good practice in Scotland and in continental Europe, David will propose changes to the way we assemble land and shift development that could lead to better outcomes.
David will conclude with some thoughts on the potential to green pieces of vacant and derelict land and scope for natural capital to support the creation of green spaces and nature based solutions in urban Scotland.
SPONSORSHIP
SiLC have Headline, Gold, and Silver sponsorship packages available for this webinar. Sponsorship packages start from just £200. For package details please click HERE or email silc@silc.org.uk.
Speakers

Mark Hill (Webinar Chair)
Climate & Sustainability – Lead at The Pensions Regulator
Mark is the Climate and Sustainability Lead within The Pensions Regulator (TPR), responsible for developing the regulatory response to climate change and sustainability disclosure requirements and delivering TPR’s Climate Change Strategy. He brings some 30 years of experience working predominantly in the public sector.

Jon Davies
Director at RSK Wilding and Nature Positive
Jon set up RSK Wilding in early 2020 specifically as the BNG and biodiversity offsetting arm of RSK Biocensus (RSK’s ecology team). He has a particular interest in the BNG opportunities of brownfield land, and Wilding’s largest project currently is offsetting for a film studio in a former clay pit.

David Stewart
Policy and Practice Lead at Scottish Land Commission
David’s main areas of work are land assembly, re-use of vacant and derelict land, placemaking and housing land markets. He previously worked developing affordable homes for housing associations and on the regeneration of a council estate in Edinburgh. He is a board member of Rural Housing Scotland and his local development trust.

Dr. Darren Beriro
Principal Geoscientist, British Geological Survey
Darren Beriro is a principal geoscientist at British Geological Survey, specialising in research on brownfield land redevelopment. Darren has 18 years of work experience on a wide range of projects including the development of new laboratory methods to measure the dermal bioavailability of organic contaminants in soils and the award-winning GIS-based Brownfield Ground Risk Calculator. Darren has most recently been working with the Environment Agency researching background concentrations of PFAS in soils and the Remediation and Sustainable Growth Tool.

Yolande Macklin
Senior Associate Director, Land Quality, Jacobs
Yolande Macklin is a Senior Associate Director at Jacobs with 20 years’ experience in land contamination management and assessment. Yolande has previously worked within multidisciplinary consultancies, local and national government organisations. Yolande has a wealth of experience in ground investigation and assessment on a wide range of sites including gas works, chemical works and former landfills. Since joining Jacobs in 2021, Yolande has been working with the Environment Agency on projects such as PFAS Risk Screening and the Remediation and Sustainable Growth Tool.

Martina Girvan
Senior Technical Director – Ecology, Arcadis
Martina is a Chartered Ecologist and CIEEM Fellow with over 25 years’ experience who specialises in biodiversity, ecosystem services and natural capital. She is a Senior Technical Director at Arcadis where her role is to promote the implementation of the natural capital approach to deliver biodiversity and environmental net gain within projects, for clients and different technical disciplines. To this end she works with organisations such as CIEEM, CIRIA and the Green Construction Board to produce guidance, develop and champion events, to promote quality engagement and design including nature-based solutions to deliver climate resilience, social cohesion and enhanced biodiversity, improving quality of life for all.
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