Brighton and Hove City Council is considering plans to turn St Michael’s Field near Patcham into a habitat bank to increase biodiversity and create space for wildlife.

The proposal is scheduled for discussion at a council meeting next week and could become the city’s first project of its kind.

Councillor Tim Rowkins, deputy leader and cabinet member for net zero, said: “We are incredibly lucky to have the South Downs on our doorstep. The opportunities for nature recovery are huge.

“This pilot unlocks funding for long-term nature recovery at scale, and we see it as just the beginning of an ambitious programme.

“Using funding from development to manage large sites for nature in the long term will turbocharge our efforts, and learning from this pilot will help us deliver the next stages on this ambitious journey.”

Habitat banks support nature restoration by creating, protecting and managing habitats through planning agreements.

Developers are now legally required to deliver a minimum 10 per cent biodiversity net gain on most new schemes.

If this cannot be achieved on site, they can purchase offsite biodiversity “units” from schemes like the one proposed for St Michael’s Field.

The Brighton and Hove scheme would start by creating 44 of these units, which can be bought by developers as BNG units, or by businesses as voluntary biodiversity credits.

The income generated would fund habitat management for the site over a 30-year period.

St Michael’s Field is an open-access site, meaning it remains available for public enjoyment while being managed for nature recovery.

The council said the project would enhance public access to green space and support health and wellbeing, while also contributing to the city’s wider environmental goals.

Other actions already underway include joining up wildflower areas to provide wildlife corridors and connect the city to the Downs; encouraging nature-friendly farming across the city downland estate; tree planting and conservation; and enhancing internationally rare chalk grassland and coastal vegetation.

A recent survey found 554 invertebrate species in the city’s wildflower banks, including more than 50 types of bees and 191 plant species.