Turn Your Land Into a Long-Term Income Stream — While Restoring Nature
Connected Habitat creates and manages off-site Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) solutions for landowners and developers across the UK. We handle everything — from site assessment to credit sales — so your land works harder for you and for nature.
What is BNG? Since February 2024, UK developers are legally required to deliver a 10% net gain in biodiversity for new planning applications. Off-site habitat banks — like the ones we create — allow developers to meet that obligation by purchasing biodiversity units from landowners who restore and manage natural habitats.
Our Vision
Who We Are
We are a specialist Biodiversity Net Gain developer working with UK landowners and investors to create habitat banks that generate verified BNG units for sale to planning developers. Our approach combines ecological rigour with financial discipline — every site we take on has a clear habitat management plan, a transparent financial model, and a route to market through our established developer network.
We work with: Landowners with low-grade agricultural land | Impact investors seeking nature-backed returns | Developers requiring off-site BNG solutions.
Services
We provide a complete end-to-end service — from identifying the right land to managing your habitat bank for the long term. You don't need prior knowledge of BNG; we guide you through every stage.
01
Identify
We identify appropriate target sites to meet your environmental and investment goals. These are often low-grade agricultural land in areas of clear, future development opportunities.
02
Plan
We plan the site with your goals in mind, developing a precise assessment of the natural capital potential. We provide a clear financial model of costs and projected investment returns.
03
Develop
We develop your site to provide high-integrity environmental credits, specialising in Biodiversity Net Gain Units. We support you in selling these credits through our network of real estate developers.
04
Manage
We manage your site to ensure adherence to the long-term habitat management plan, making regular transparent reports to all stakeholders. We also help you identify complementary revenue streams from your habitat bank.
Success Stories
Every project is different. Here are three examples of how we've applied BNG solutions in practice — from large-scale habitat restoration to community-integrated development.
Case Study 1
Surrey Farm
Working in partnership with a Surrey landowner, we converted exhausted arable land into high-quality, high-distinctiveness habitats through phased BNG design and habitat restoration. The site now delivers verified Biodiversity Net Gain units, providing the landowner with a long-term income stream while creating measurable ecological benefit. The phased approach allowed the landowner to manage upfront investment while maximising unit yields over time.
Case Study 2
Communities Investment Pilot
In collaboration with a leading impact investor, we developed a model that links nature restoration income directly to community benefit. Rather than distributing all returns to investors alone, a portion of revenue generated through the habitat bank is strategically redirected into local community initiatives. This project demonstrates that BNG can be structured to deliver social value alongside ecological and financial returns.
Case Study 3
Maximising Small Spaces
We partnered with a residential developer to move beyond minimum BNG compliance by creating an integrated habitat bank directly adjacent to a new housing development. Residents gained immediate access to managed natural greenspace, and the developer met — and exceeded — their planning obligations. This model shows how BNG can add genuine amenity value to development rather than being treated as a box-ticking exercise.
Meet the Team
Executive Team
Director
Darren Agombar
Serial entrepreneur and founder, Darren Agombar is the Chief Executive of Connected group, applying his expertise in behavioural finance to ecological investment.
Director
Stephen Cudihee
A finance executive with over 25 years of experience in fund administration, Stephen oversees operations and governance for Connected Habitat. He has served as a Director and Managing Director, currently focusing on private equity services and regulatory frameworks from Guernsey.
Managing Director
James Kelly
James is the Managing Director of Connected Habitat, defining the firm's vision for BNG strategies and off-site biodiversity solutions. He leverages his background in financial strategy to lead the consultancy.