Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) is partnering with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) to enhance habitats at Otmoor Nature Reserve, supporting nature recovery alongside a £200 million upgrade of the local electricity network.

As part of its substation works in Oxfordshire, SSEN has invested in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) credits at one of the country's most significant inland wetland reserves. The credits help developers meet statutory requirements for at least a 10% biodiversity net gain while directing funding into on‑the‑ground improvements to compensate for unavoidable impacts from nearby infrastructure works.

The investment will support the restoration of three ex‑arable fields within the 485‑hectare reserve. Two fields will be converted into wetland mosaic—a nationally important, species‑rich habitat—through carefully managed water levels to benefit birds such as Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe. The third field will be sown with native species to create a transitional habitat that broadens biodiversity across the site.

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Paul Goodchild, SSEN's Senior Project Manager for the Cowley project, said: "Our investment in Biodiversity Net Gain at Otmoor reflects our commitment to ensuring that essential infrastructure upgrades also contribute to positive, lasting benefits for local ecosystems. Working with the RSPB on such a significant reserve is a fantastic opportunity to support habitats that are vital for wildlife, while delivering the upgrades Oxfordshire needs for a low‑carbon future."

David Wilding, the RSPB's Otmoor Reserve Manager, added: "Otmoor is already one of central England's most important wetland reserves, but projects like this remind us what can be achieved when we have mechanisms and policy in place that bring investment into nature. Transforming these fields into wetland mosaic is genuinely significant as this habitat type supports some of our most pressure-sensitive species, including Curlew, Lapwing, Redshank and Snipe, all of which have seen serious national declines."

The biodiversity measures sit alongside works now under way at the Cowley substation in southeast Oxford, where state‑of‑the‑art equipment is being installed to increase capacity for homes and businesses and strengthen the network's resilience in a more volatile climate.

The programme began in August 2025 with the installation of new high‑voltage underground cables along Grenoble Road, delivered by SSEN's contract partner OCU Group, and is scheduled to continue through to early 2027.