National Highways reaches biodiversity milestone on the road to becoming Nature Positive

National Highways, which operates 4,300 miles of England’s motorways and major A-roads, is on course to achieve its 2020 commitment of delivering no net loss of biodiversity across its activities by 2025.

And, in the next five years it will make a further move toward becoming nature positive by delivering at least a 10 per cent net gain in biodiversity on its major enhancement projects delivered between 2025 and 2030.

The improvements are being delivered through enhancements built into National Highways’ major projects, and through innovative partnerships with conservation charities.

Coinciding with the United Nations Biodiversity Day on 22 May, National Highways is marking Nature Week, highlighting the nature-focused work it and its partners do around the country.

The projects include:

• Transforming the site of a former open cast mine next to a major motorway upgrade on the M6 near Wigan into new wetlands, grassland and areas of woodland
• a 15 year agreement to help species rich grasslands on the Greena Moor Nature Reserve in Cornwall thrive
• Delivering diverse results for nature, including a green bridge, alongside a major road improvement on the A30 in Cornwall
• helping bat populations to thrive on historic railway structures across the UK

Tom Clancy, head of environmental delivery at National Highways said: “We believe in a connected country and a thriving environment. We know that roads can compromise the quality of the environment; fragmenting important habitats and putting pressure on plant and animal populations.

“Our work is showing that it doesn’t have to be this way. As one of the biggest landowners in the UK, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference. Working with partners, we are making important progress in halting the decline in biodiversity and looking forward to going even further in the future.”

Seven projects in the South West and North East regions are being delivered through the Meadow Makers initiative, in partnership with conservation charity Plantlife, to protect and restore species rich wildflower and waxcap grasslands to help restore the biodiversity of over 100 hectares of existing grasslands.

Isobel Hall, Meadow Makers Programme Manager at Plantlife said: "Our grasslands are amazing - they store carbon, reduce flooding and provide our food. But unfortunately, 97% of species-rich grasslands have been lost since the 1930's, accompanied by declines in rare species like Harebell and Ragged Robin.

“This exciting partnership project with National Highways, which is in its early days, is a valuable opportunity to protect and restore rare wildflower and fungi grassland sites at scale. Creating space for nature at these sites is a key step towards tackling the twin biodiversity and climate crises.

“As restoration work gets underway at our project sites, we are starting to gather valuable baseline species data, establish monitoring regimes, and explore ways to add additional value to the capital restoration work. We are committed to creating lasting positive impacts for wild plants and wildlife, as well as for the local community."

Biodiversity is the variety of all life on Earth. It includes all species of animals and plants, and the natural systems that support them. Biodiversity matters because it supports the vital benefits humans get from the natural environment. It contributes to the economy, health and well-being, and it enriches our lives.

Biodiversity net gain is a way of creating and improving natural habitats. Delivering biodiversity net gain makes sure development has a measurably positive impact on biodiversity, compared to what was there before development. National Highways is proud to have delivered more than 4,500 biodiversity units since 2020, becoming one of the leading organisations in this important area. Together, the enhancements include creating or enhancing:

• 799 hectares of wildflower grassland
• 25 hectares of peat bog habitat
• 2.4 hectares of pond habitat
• and planting 621,000 trees across 106 hectares of woodland

This Wednesday, 22 May, is United Nations Biodiversity Day, which National Highways is supporting by marking with its annual Nature Week, a special programme of activities starting from Monday 20 May.

Notes to Editors

National Highways is the wholly government-owned company responsible for modernising, maintaining and operating England’s motorways and major A roads.

Real-time traffic information for England’s motorways and major A roads is available via the Traffic England website, local and national radio travel bulletins, electronic road signs and mobile apps. Local Twitter services are also available.

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