Could Your Land Be Worth More Through Biodiversity Net Gain?
For many private landowners, farmers and land managers, biodiversity net gain is creating a new way to think about land value. Under the Environment Act, most qualifying developments in England must now deliver at least a 10% measurable improvement in biodiversity value. Where developers cannot achieve enough biodiversity net gain on site, they may need […]
How Biodiversity Net Gain Is Calculated Using the DEFRA Metric
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requires developers to understand the biodiversity value of a development site before development and compare it with the value expected after development. In England, this is calculated using the statutory biodiversity metric, which converts habitat information into standardised biodiversity units. The metric considers factors including habitat size, type, condition and strategic […]
BNG Monitoring and Reporting: A Complete Guide for Developers and Landowners
Biodiversity Net Gain does not end when biodiversity units are allocated or planning permission is secured. For significant on-site gains and off-site provision, long-term habitat management and monitoring are fundamental to demonstrating that promised biodiversity improvements are actually being delivered. Under England’s statutory biodiversity net gain (BNG) framework, qualifying habitat enhancements must generally be secured […]
Can a Biodiversity Gain Plan Be Amended After Approval? Changes, Recalculations and Planning Risk
An approved Biodiversity Gain Plan cannot simply be amended under the current Biodiversity Net Gain framework. If the approach to meeting the biodiversity gain objective changes after the plan has been approved but before development begins, a new Biodiversity Gain Plan can be submitted to the relevant planning authority for approval. Changes to a development […]
Strategic Significance in the Biodiversity Metric: LNRS, Local Plans and BNG Scores
Strategic significance is a factor within the Biodiversity Metric that considers whether post-development habitat creation or enhancement is being delivered in locations identified as priorities for nature recovery. Where a published Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) identifies a mapped measure and the proposed habitat delivers that measure, the habitat can receive higher strategic significance within […]
The BNG Spatial Risk Multiplier: Why the Location of Off-Site Units Matters
The BNG Spatial Risk Multiplier reduces the value of off-site biodiversity units when habitat compensation is located further from the biodiversity loss caused by a development. Under the current statutory biodiversity metric, area and hedgerow units within the same Local Planning Authority (LPA) or National Character Area (NCA) receive a multiplier of 1.0, neighbouring areas […]
What Local Planning Authorities Actually Look for in a Biodiversity Gain Plan
Since mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) became a legal requirement in England on 12 February 2024, biodiversity has become a central consideration within the planning process. Before development can begin, local planning authorities must approve a biodiversity gain plan demonstrating how a development will achieve at least a 10% increase in biodiversity value. Many developers […]
BNG and Planning Risk: 7 Ways to Avoid Last-Minute Permission Delays
Mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) has been in place since the Environment Act 2021 and is now a key aspect of the planning system. Developers are now required to demonstrate at least a 10% increase in the value of biodiversity and to meet the statutory biodiversity gain criteria before they can start on development sites. […]
When Should You Start Sourcing Off-Site BNG Units? A Timeline from Feasibility to Planning
One of the most common questions developers ask is, ‘When should you start sourcing off-site BNG units?’ The simple answer is as early as possible. Under the mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) framework introduced by the Environment Act, developers must achieve at least a 10% biodiversity net gain before development can commence. While many schemes […]
How to Navigate Biodiversity Net Gain Trading Rules for Planning Success
Since mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) became a legal requirement for most developments in England, developers have had to take a far more strategic approach to ecology during the planning process. Biodiversity is no longer something that can be considered once site plans have been finalised. Instead, it must be embedded into development proposals from […]