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Conservation Covenant Services
Defra Approved Responsible Body
Conservation Covenants
Conservation covenants provide a legally binding way to protect habitats, biodiversity, and heritage features in perpetuity, even as land changes ownership. These flexible, voluntary agreements allow landowners to secure payments for eco-friendly practices, support biodiversity net gain initiatives, and promote public good through tailored restrictions or positive actions like habitat restoration.
Conservation Covenant Services are a DEFRA approved Responsible Body who specialise in providing the legal framework and ongoing monitoring for:
Speed, Value, & Flexibility
Need Your Conservation Covenant Quickly? - Use our fast track service. Dedicated expert team assigned to you to ensure your covenant is processed as efficiently as possible.
Competitive Pricing - Clear fee structure, exceptional service, & payment scheduling options.
Flexible Covenants - Agreements tailored to your specific needs.
What We Do
Conservation Covenant Services are a designated Responsible Body providing conservation covenants & associated services to landowners, developers, Local Authorities and National Infrastructure Projects. We specialise in covenants relating to Biodiversity Net Gain, Nutrient Mitigation and Environmental Protections.
​We legally secure outcomes and services including;
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Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
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Nutrient Neutrality (including Nitrate and Phosphate Mitigation)
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Carbon Sequestration and certified Carbon Offsetting / Credits
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Water Quality
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Flood Mitigation
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Species Specific Mitigation (Wading Bird Mitigation etc)
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Green & Blue Infrastructure and Environmental Improvement Plans
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Nature Shares (voluntary sector)
Why Choose Conservation Covenant Services
We have the ecological expertise, legal know how, and streamlined processes that will get your project moving. We're trusted to provide reliable, pragmatic, and effective services that create conservation covenants with integrity. Our experienced and skillful team will work constructively with all parties with open communication, clear decision making structures, and practical governance. Get in contact with us to find out how a conservation covenant will create impactful environmental benefits on your land.
Who We Are
George Sayer
Head of Ecology
Sam Knight
Head of Legal
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Tom Hayes
Head of Operations
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Stephanie Knight
Head of Finance
Head of Ecology
A highly experienced ecologist, arboriculturalist, BNG and Habitat Creation specialist, and a full member of CIEEM and the Arboricultural Association.​
With a background in applied conservation and biodiversity assessment, George leads on ecological strategy and delivery across all projects. His practical understanding of land management helps to unlock development while achieving measurable improvements for nature.
George keeps Conservation Covenant Services aligned with emerging nature policy and best practice, and is an advocate for innovative, landscape-scale habitat projects that contribute to wider nature recovery across England.
Conservation Covenant Services
Conservation Covenants provide an important legal framework to protect nature, safeguard land and heritage, and to create financial returns for landowners and farmers. The key areas are; Biodiversity Net Gain, Green Finance & Nature Markets, Agricultural Land Management & Tax Planning and Altruistic Stewardship.
Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
As of 2024–2025, most new developments in England must deliver at least 10% Biodiversity Net Gain. Conservation covenants are one of the primary legal mechanisms used to:
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Secure Offsite Biodiversity Units: Developers can buy units from land managers who have committed to 30+ years of habitat restoration via a conservation covenant.
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Register Habitat Banks: For land to be officially listed on the National Biodiversity Gain Site Register, it must be secured by either a Section 106 agreement or a conservation covenant. Only Defra Approved Responsible Bodies such as Conservation Covenant Services can create a conservation covenant.
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Infrastructure Projects: The 10% BNG requirement will soon be extended to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs), further expanding the use of conservation covenants.
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Green Finance & Nature Markets
Covenants provide the legal permanence required by private investors in natural capital.
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Nutrient & Water Neutrality: Conservation covenants are used to legally secure new wetlands or buffer zones that mitigate nitrogen & phosphorus runoff, allowing housing developments to proceed in sensitive catchments.
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Carbon Sequestration: They provide long-term assurance for carbon offsetting projects, such as peatland restoration or large-scale woodland creation, ensuring the land isn't converted back to intensive use.
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Flood Mitigation: Water companies pay landowners to manage land for natural flood management (e.g., planting trees or restoring floodplains), using covenants to protect these investments across successive owners.
Agricultural Transition & Tax Planning
With a shift toward "public money for public goods," farmers are using conservation covenants to diversify income.
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Inheritance Tax Relief: The scope of Agricultural Property Relief (APR) has been extended to include land managed under environmental agreements with approved Responsible Bodies. This allows farmers to move land into conservation without losing tax benefits.
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​30 by 30 Target: They are a key tool for achieving the UK’s commitment to protect 30% of land for nature, allowing private land to contribute to national targets without government designation.
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Charitable & Altruistic Stewardship
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Alternative to Land Purchase: Conservation charities (like the Wildlife Trusts) use covenants to protect high-value habitats on private land by paying for management rights rather than buying the freehold outright.
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Securing a Family Legacy: Landowners use covenants to "lock in" a conservation vision or public access (e.g., for climbing crags or community woodlands) before passing the land to heirs who may not share the same priorities.
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Transfer of Heritage Assets: Organizations selling historic properties can use a covenant to ensure future owners maintain specific architectural or archaeological features.
Nature Recovery
Nature recovery depends on long-term, joined-up action across landscapes, and Conservation Covenants provide a reliable and durable way to secure that commitment. We create legally binding agreements that attach to the land rather than the landowner, this locks in habitat protection, restoration, and management well beyond individual projects or political cycles, giving confidence to developers, planners, and communities that gains for biodiversity will endure.
Our combination of ecological vision and robust legal mechanism helps turn strategic plans for wildlife corridors, species recovery, and climate resilience into enforceable, monitorable outcomes on the ground, so that each agreement becomes a building block in a wider network of thriving, connected, nature-rich places.
Who We Work With
We create and maintain conservation covenants for:
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Developers
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Landowners
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Habitat Bank Operators
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Local Authorities
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Government Bodies
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Wildlife Trusts
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Utility Companies
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National Infrastructure Projects
We create bespoke projects combining the skill of our legal team, the expertise of our land managers, and the environmental intelligence of our ecologists. Understanding your land, your project, and your aims are key to creating excellent conservation covenants.