SANG Design, Creation & Management
Practical delivery of Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, from bare field to adopted, well-used greenspace.
Developments near the Dorset heathlands are routinely required to deliver SANG, or Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace, to draw recreational pressure away from protected heaths. Heartwood delivers the physical works that turn a SANG plan into a functioning greenspace: paths and access, car parks and furniture, planting and habitat creation, and the ongoing management that keeps the space attractive and compliant.
We work alongside ecologists, landscape architects and planning consultants, translating management plans into scheduled, costed works. We then stay on as the long-term management contractor, reporting against the SANG management plan year after year.
SANG services
- ✓Site clearance, ground preparation and earthworks
- ✓Footpath construction, gates, fencing and signage
- ✓Native tree and shrub planting, wildflower establishment
- ✓Habitat creation: ponds, scrapes, hibernacula, deadwood habitat
- ✓Cyclical mowing, grazing infrastructure and scrub control
- ✓Annual monitoring reports against the SANG management plan
Why delivery quality matters
A SANG only works if people actually choose to use it. Natural England guidance is clear that SANGs must be genuinely attractive alternatives, with good paths in all seasons, safe access, varied habitat and a sense of space. We build to that standard, and our management keeps it there, protecting the developer's planning position and the site's long-term value.
Because we combine arboricultural, ecological and landscaping capability in one team, developers deal with one contractor from enabling works through to the twenty-year management plan.
Frequently asked questions
- Can you take on long-term SANG management obligations?
- Yes. We deliver cyclical management against the approved SANG management plan, including monitoring and reporting, under multi-year contracts with management companies or landowners.
- Do you work with our ecologist and landscape architect?
- Always. We price and deliver against their specifications and attend design team meetings where needed.
Ready to talk about your project?
Free site visits and quotes across Dorset, Hampshire and the South West. Commercial tenders and framework enquiries welcome.