News
Record biodiversity net gain figures in Surrey
Record figures
We are proud to reveal how our new 25-home community, The Martingales off Lower Road in Bookham in Surrey, showcases our commitment to nature recovery.
Biodiversity refers to the variety of life on earth. Net gain in biodiversity measures how well home builders leave the natural environment measurably better than before building began.
We support the inclusion of Biodiversity targets in Local Plans, and a minimum of 10% net gain become mandatory for all developers nationally. At Thakeham we have committed to ensuring at least 20% biodiversity net gain across our housing developments from 2025 as part of our strategy for nature recovery.
The Surrey Wildlife Trust’s post-completion survey has confirmed that the Martingales development will deliver a 41.38% biodiversity net gain.
Rob Boughton, Chief Executive Officer at Thakeham Group, said:
“The Martingales in Bookham offered us a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate what a significant difference environmentally-friendly design can make to our local communities.
We have blended a whole raft of measures focused on biodiversity. The new figures are an inspirational endorsement that, together with our partners, we have made some shrewd planning decisions with the environment in mind.
The air we breathe and the water we drink all relies on biodiversity. It’s all connected. Every home builder has a responsibility to make sure we protect and enhance the environment around us. Everyone at Thakeham is proud to lead on this and will continue to do so.”
The Thakeham Difference
The biodiversity measures at The Martingales in Bookham feature 121m of newly-installed hedgerows (longer than a football pitch); a 1675 m2 wildflower meadow (equivalent to over 6.5 tennis courts) and 885m2 of marsh grassland (as much as three tennis courts).
The Martingales boasts more than 100 retained trees, bird boxes, Woodcrete bat boxes, hedgehog houses and highways in fences (to allow hedgehogs to roam freely to forage and shelter).
With sustainability in mind, each of the 25 homes will also enjoy smaller bills and a reduced carbon footprint thanks to a highly efficient design that reduces energy demand.
The whole development was designed and built by Thakeham Homes with a bespoke courtyard theme following the original footprint of the traditional farmstead off Lower Road. The new homes, 40% of which are affordable, include the main farmhouse, farm cottages, stable block and a barn to reflect the agricultural feel and tradition of the site.
