Towersey: Reinstating species-rich hay meadows along the Cuttle Brook
Towersey Farm Habitat Bank near Thame is an exciting new 16.5 hectare nature recovery project in South Oxfordshire. The first such Habitat Bank to be granted a Section 106 agreement with South Oxfordshire District Council , it is only the second site to be granted this status in Oxfordshire.
Located between the villages of Kingsey and Towersey, the Towersey Farm Habitat Bank is adjacent to the Cuttle Brook (a tributary of the River Thame and the boundary between Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire).
This important new project will see former farmland revert to species-rich wildflower grassland, while small areas of remaining grassland habitat will be enhanced and buffered. We will also establish areas of scrub and improve an area of existing wet woodland along the Cuttle Brook.
Towersey farm and the surrounding landscape have predominantly been used to cultivate cereal crops in recent history. Over the coming 30 years, the land will be managed as a species-rich hay meadow. By allowing wildflowers to bloom and set seed in the summer, then making hay in the autumn, habitat and food for a host of wildlife species will be created in an arable-dominated landscape. Managing scrub, woodland, and hedgerow habitats to increase their species diversity and structural complexity will create a range of ecological niches suited to farmland species in the local area. By removing the land from intensive agricultural production, fewer chemicals and less sediment will run into the Cuttle Brook that runs on the northern border of the site, improving the health of one of the River Thame’s main tributaries.
The site is adjacent to the Thame Valley Conservation Target Area (CTA), an area identified as strategically valuable for nature recovery in the county. The site will help buffer and enhance the biodiversity of the CTA and will provide important havens for wildlife moving through this key nature corridor.
The new hay meadows and woodland will create important habitat for pollinators, mammals and birds. Species which we would hope to see return to the site (and which are present in neighbouring areas of the Thame Valley CTA) include curlew, barn owl and water voles.
“Turning some land over to biodiversity net gain helps the environment and creates a steady income that is not as dependent on weather conditions and price fluctuations, which have affected the farm business recently.”
Despite not yet meeting the desired criteria, the grassland is significantly closer to Lowland Meadows in 2023 than it was in 2022. This is fantastic news considering how recently work began on this site. We’re looking forward to seeing what else shows up at the site in the coming years!
Towersey Farm Habitat Bank was officially launched in September 2024. The signing of an Section 106 agreement is a key step towards registering the site on the national biodiversity net gain register. Once registration is complete, the site will be able to complete and register sales of biodiversity net gain units under the new mandatory BNG policy.
The site will generate 65 units of medium distinctiveness grassland, scrub and individual trees, and high distinctiveness woodland and hedgerow habitat units. Developers interested in securing units can contact net.gain@trustforoxfordshire.org.uk