The Environment Act has established mandatory biodiversity net gain requirements for most developments under the Town and Country Planning Act. When on-site solutions aren’t sufficient to deliver the required 10% biodiversity net gain, developers need reliable off-site biodiversity units. At Civity, we specialise in providing these units to help meet your BNG requirements.
Understanding When You Need Off-Site Solutions
The journey to securing off-site biodiversity units typically begins after:
- Your ecological consultant has completed site assessments
- Initial biodiversity metric calculations show a net loss
- On-site enhancement opportunities have been explored
- The need for off-site units has been clearly established
Important Exemptions
Some developments have existing legal protections or exemptions from BNG requirements, including:
- Certain Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
- Sites with specific planning obligations already in place
- Developments affecting sites with particular environmental designations may require a bespoke approach
Our Approach to Off-Site Biodiversity Units
Accessible Solutions
We’ve designed our services to make off-site biodiversity net gain accessible to all developments:
- Minimum unit sales starting from 0.1 units
- Calculations precise to 4 decimal places
- Transparent unit pricing
- Clear documentation for planning submissions
Sustainable Management Model
To ensure long-term delivery of biodiversity net gain, we operate through:
- Habitat management agreements with landowners
- Direct landowner responsibility for management
- Secure legal agreements for long-term gains
- Regular oversight of biodiversity value maintenance
- Working in partnership with landowners to ensure the best outcomes for ecology
The Planning Process and Our Role
What We Do
- Provide off-site biodiversity units
- Supply comprehensive unit purchase documentation
- Review unit-related information in biodiversity gain plans
- Support accurate recording of off-site gains
What Others Do
Ecological Consultants
- Conduct site assessments
- Calculate biodiversity metric scores
- Prepare biodiversity gain plans
- Recommend appropriate solutions
Local Planning Authorities
- Validate biodiversity gain plans
- Ensure compliance with objectives
- Monitor overall delivery (when BNG is delivered on-site and/or if the offsite land bank is registered via a SE106 agreement with the LPA)
- Maintain gain site records
Legal Framework and Requirements
Successful off-site biodiversity net gain delivery requires:
- Conservation covenants or Section 106 Agreements
- Minimum 30-year management commitments
- Clear documentation of gains
- Proper recording of obligations
Making the Right Choice
Key Considerations
When exploring off-site biodiversity units, consider the following:
- Required units based on metric calculations
- Available off-site gains
- Cost-effectiveness
- Liability for delivery of units
Supporting Your Planning Process
While we don’t prepare planning applications or biodiversity gain plans, we provide:
- Detailed unit purchase information
- Documentation for planning submissions
- Information for biodiversity gain plan inclusion
Ready to Explore Off-Site Solutions?
If your ecological assessment has identified the need for off-site biodiversity units, we’re here to help. Our team can discuss current unit availability, guide you through purchase requirements, explain necessary documentation, and help you understand how our units integrate with your planning submission.
Contact us:
3a Orbis Wharf, Bridgers Court Road, SW11 3GW
hello@civitynge.com
0208 050 6076
Through our focused approach to off-site biodiversity net gain solutions, we help developers meet their BNG requirements while ensuring long-term biodiversity value through sustainable management partnerships. Our commitment to accessibility, transparency, and proper documentation makes securing off-site biodiversity units straightforward and efficient.
FAQs:
You should seek off-site biodiversity units following your ecological consultant’s completion of their assessment and identification of a net loss requiring off-site biodiversity gains. We get involved after the initial biodiversity metric calculations are complete and the need for off-site units is established.
To make off-site biodiversity net gain accessible, we offer unit sales starting from as small as 0.1 units, with calculations carried to 4 decimal places. This helps minimise costs while ensuring compliance with mandatory biodiversity net gain requirements.
Our off-site biodiversity gains are delivered through habitat management agreements with landowners. These landowners take direct responsibility for land management, supported by legal agreements that secure the biodiversity gains for at least 30 years.
While we don’t write or validate biodiversity gain plans, we can review sections specifically relating to units purchased from us to ensure accuracy. Your ecological consultant will prepare the overall biodiversity gain plan, which the local planning authority will then validate.
