A former Lancashire quarry that once supplied materials to make bricks is set to be transformed into meadows, woodlands and other unique habitats to support the future of development across the North West.

The 29.5-hectare site in West Lancashire, previously a brickshale quarry, will be transformed into a ‘habitat bank’, a protected area to promote biodiversity, allowing developers to invest in the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) units they need in order to build.

The site spans two National Character Areas – the Lancashire Coal Measures and the Lancashire and Amounderness Plain – putting it within reach of developers across a wide area from Blackpool to Chorley and south to St Helens and Knowsley. It is strategically placed to support demand for biodiversity units linked to housing, infrastructure and commercial development.

Landowner Ibstock Plc has entrusted stewardship of the site to Green Earth Developments Group (GEDG) for the 30-year programme of habitat creation and management.

Plans for Dalton Quarry include the creation and enhancement of a wide range of habitats, including lowland meadow, open mosaic habitat, floodplain wetland mosaic and lowland mixed deciduous woodland, alongside hedgerow and watercourse units. Early works will include remodelling the quarry floor to restore natural drainage, improving the woodland stream corridor, and beginning a grassland transition programme to establish species-rich lowland meadow across former agricultural fields.

The project will be managed under a 30-year stewardship model, with the first five years focused on habitat creation and enhancement, followed by 25 years of active management and monitoring. The plans exceed the restoration obligations typically applied to worked mineral sites, with compliance oversight from a Natural England approved Responsible Body for the full 30-year term.

Simon Towers, chairman of Green Earth Developments Group, said: “Dalton Quarry captures exactly what Biodiversity Net Gain should be about. This is a site that helped build communities for decades through the supply of construction materials. Now it can support the next generation of development in a different way, by creating the biodiversity units projects need while delivering meaningful nature recovery at scale.

“Too often, the debate around BNG focuses on metrics and numbers. The bigger opportunity is transformation. Former mineral sites like this can become some of the most valuable environmental assets in the country when backed by long-term investment, expert management and the right ecological vision.”

The habitat bank will deliver a mosaic of grassland, wetland, woodland, hedgerow and aquatic habitats, creating conditions for a wider range of species to thrive over time. GEDG will also retain specialist ecological consultancy Middlemarch Environmental, part of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, to monitor the site throughout the management period.

One of the site’s unique advantages is its nutrient-poor mineral soils – while fertile land often favours dominant grasses and vigorous species that crowd out diversity, lower nutrient soils create space for a wider mix of wildflowers, invertebrates and specialist plants to establish and thrive. Brownfield sites like Dalton provide ideal conditions for species-rich grassland and open mosaic habitats, both of which are difficult to replicate on more conventional land, and are increasingly valuable within the UK’s ecological network.

Nick Spence, Planning and Estates Manager at Ibstock, said: “Dalton Quarry has supported local communities for generations through the supply of essential building materials. Alongside this, Ibstock has built a strong track record of restoring land responsibly, often exceeding restoration obligations once quarries or land are no longer operational.

This partnership with Green Earth builds on that foundation - enabling the land to continue playing a role in supporting local future development, while also delivering long‑term biodiversity, environmental and economic benefit.”

The project also highlights the growing role former quarries, landfills and other brownfield sites can play in helping the UK meet both housing demand and nature recovery goals.

Towers added: “If the UK is serious about building the homes and infrastructure it needs while reversing ecological decline, we need to think bigger about the land already available to us. Sites like Dalton Quarry offer exactly that opportunity.”

As part of its wider approach to social value, GEDG also plans to work with local schools, community groups and stakeholders to create opportunities for education, wellbeing and engagement with nature.

For more information, visit www.greenearthgroup.co.uk.