Bedfordshire development takes home top biodiversity award after transforming brownfield site into a nature haven

Redrow has been presented with a prestigious National Biodiversity award after transforming a former brownfield site into a haven for wildlife and residents. 

Redrow South Midlands’ Caddington Woods, on Chaul End, has been officially named Project of the Year in the BIG Biodiversity Challenge. 

Formed in 2014, the BIG Biodiversity Challenge is dedicated to recognising biodiversity enhancement of construction sites and developments and is a prestigious accolade that housebuilders aspire to achieve.

Caddington Woods was originally a 6,500-space car park. After acquiring the land, the Redrow team set about creating a long-term strategy to improve the site’s natural assets, partnering with Central Bedfordshire Council and General Motors which had owned the land since the 1950s. 

Seeking support from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species and RSPB, the team at Redrow South Midlands has been committed to designing a green space and infrastructure for wildlife to be able to thrive and to enhance residents’ wellbeing. This includes retaining the existing woodland, with a management plan in place to improve its condition, introducing ‘bee-friendly hotels’ and ‘hedgehog highways’, and allowing new trees enough space to grow. 

The development also features eight hectares of green public open space for residents and the local community to enjoy, including a play area. New habitats have also been created for local wildlife, including species-rich grassland and native shrub planting, ensuring the project will achieve a 63% Biodiversity Net Gain. This will now serve as a blueprint for the team to replicate at other brownfield locations and future Redrow developments.

The Caddington community has also been involved throughout the scheme. Around 200 children from two local schools completed an art project to create mosaic tiles for the villages’ new community centre, which reflected local and nature-related themes. An expert from the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire also hosted a public talk on how to help hedgehogs at the development.

Commenting on the award win, Suzanne Irons, Sales Director for Redrow South Midlands, said: "We are immensely proud of the Caddington Woods team's dedication to developing a nature-rich space and are over the moon with this win. We take great pride in having created a habitat that is both wildlife-friendly and a great place for those in the community to call home. We hope local people will take pleasure in seeing both people and animals thrive here for many years to come.”.

Redrow’s biodiversity strategy, which was created in partnership with The Wildlife Trust, seeks to put the natural environment at the heart of its developments and the lives of the people who live there. 

The strategy includes a net gain approach to biodiversity, ensuring every development has green space or landscaped communal areas where wildlife can flourish. Developments may feature green routes for walking and cycling, newly created orchards or meadows, and wetland areas like ponds and swales.

Find out more about Redrow’s homes in Bedfordshire.