8 Hills – Stacking Access and Ecosystem Services on the Urban Fringe
The 8 Hills NEIRF project will deliver an investment case for a new model of regional park. It aims to ensure cohesive access and habitat in an area under pressure from housing demand that threatens fragmentation, bringing together grants and private investment.
The project will focus on removing a key barrier, landowner participation, through stacking ecosystem services payments. This will allow smaller parcels to be financially viable and worth landowner effort, while not requiring wholesale changes that might risk food production or other livelihoods – thus dramatically increasing the number of landowners prepared to test this new source of income. It will develop a model for access as a service as a key add-on landowner compensation to boost take-up, combined with income from carbon credits, BNG units and flood mitigation.
The model developed will be scaled-up across 8 Hills to achieve the vision and deliver an innovative new funding stream for small landowners. The aim is to create a model that can be replicated in similar peri urban areas.
Environmental outcomes are increased public access to greenspace, improved connectivity of habitats, climate change resilience and improved water quality.
Project Aim
Develop a model for access as key “add-on” ecosystem service to incentivise landowners to provide more public access to farmland near communities, benefitting people’s health and wellbeing.
Project partners
Funding model
The 8 Hills project will identify what combination of landowners, size of plots and number of plots will create a viable investment proposition. It will bring together multiple landowners and funders, acting as a one-stop-shop for ecosystem, health and access services.
Habitat creation and restoration will generate revenue through certifying biodiversity net gain units and selling to developers looking to offset the impact of their local developments. Carbon sequestered and emissions avoided will generate revenue through sale of certified carbon credits to businesses looking to offset carbon impact. Flood mitigation benefits and water quality improvements will generate revenue through payment by results, payments for ecosystem services or similar contractual arrangements.
Options for access revenue to be explored include:
- Development of a “cardio credits” scheme to fund new access infrastructure and the payment by results model for increased farmland access, encouraging target groups, e.g. desk based workers, to be more active outdoors.
- Use of a bond repaid by local organisations who will benefit from increased visitor spend, to expedite creation of flagship access routes within 8 Hills.
Access is anticipated to be an essential element of 8 Hills, making the overall payments available to landowners more attractive, and unlocking their willingness to seek the other environmental benefits.
Future Investment Potential
Interventions recommended by the 8 Hills evidence base and detailed assessment of pilot sites will be stacked to increase incentive to landowners whilst being compatible with agriculture. Stacking the ecosystem services in relatively small areas of many farms will help to remove a key barrier to landowner participation, dramatically increasing the number of landowners prepared to test this new source of income. 25YEP outcomes will include:
Clean and plentiful water.
Mitigation of and adaptation to climate Change.
Thriving plants and wildlife.
Beauty, heritage and engagement.
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