Flagship summit highlights the urgent need for biodiversity in housing

Daniel Salliss, Flagship’s Biodiversity and Land Manager, speaks at the biodiversity summit.

Investing in biodiversity isn’t a burden—it’s a smart and essential choice for housing providers, residents, and the wider economy.

That was the core message from a ‘Biodiversity and Housing’ summit on nature and housing held at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve, near Fakenham, which drew around 40 biodiversity and housing professionals from across England on March 18.

Daniel Salliss, Biodiversity and Land Manager at housing provider Flagship, which organised the event, said: “Creating space for nature doesn’t mean we have to compromise on what’s best for residents – they go hand in hand. We know that access to nature improves mental and physical health. It’s our responsibility to manage our land responsibly to unlock the benefits nature provides for us all, and mitigate risks from nature loss such as flooding and overheating.”

Mr Salliss spoke about Flagship’s efforts to create wildflower meadows across 1200 sites it manages by 2030. He said that although the project had not been warmly welcomed by everyone, the environmental benefits were already clear.

He said: "We know change isn’t always easy and popular but helping nature to recover is essential. We’re already seeing increases in flowers and pollinators in the grassland converted to meadow and many people appreciate what we’re trying to do for biodiversity”.

Morgan Taylor, director of the consultancy Greengage Environmental, was among the guest speakers at the event. He said: "If we continue on our current path, the cost of biodiversity loss could reach 12% of GDP - more than the Covid pandemic and 2008 financial crisis put together. Businesses, including those in housing, need to recognise that investing in nature is investing in their own financial security, as nature loss will eventually hit the balance sheet."

Attendees also heard updates on regional biodiversity initiatives, including the Norfolk and Suffolk Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which is helping to guide efforts across the region. With biodiversity in crisis, and the government’s Biodiversity Net Gain regulations coming into effect last year, it is more important than ever for developers and housing providers to build with nature in mind.

Morgan Taylor from Greengage Environmental was among the guest speakers at the biodiversity summit at Pensthorpe

Other guest speakers included Sam Jones from the Green Partnership, Jen Burlingham from the Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership, Kate Digney from architecture firm Levitt Bernstein and representatives from the Norfolk Wildlife Trust.

James Payne, Flagship’s Regeneration Director, said that if the housing sector gets biodiversity right, the rewards will be felt not just in the environment but in people’s lives and local economies.

He said: "For years, we’ve focused on what’s inside the four walls. But a good home is about more than bricks and mortar. The spaces around our homes shape wellbeing, social connection, and community pride. If we want to help people thrive, we have to think beyond housing and invest in nature."

At the biodiversity summit at Pensthorpe were, from left, Kate Digney from Levitt Bernstein, Jen Burlingham from the Norfolk and Suffolk Nature Recovery Partnership, Sam Jones from the Green Partnership, Morgan Taylor from Greengage Environmental and Daniel Salliss and James Payne from Flagship

The biodiversity summit took place at Pensthorpe Nature Reserve, near Fakenham