Biodiversity Net Gain is now in force for the majority of sites in England
The biodiversity net gain legislation for England requires developers to deliver a minimum 10% net gain in biodiversity for most major and minor planning applications . The aim is to ensure a development will result in more or better quality natural habitat than before, and secured for a minimum of 30 years through a legal agreement. This is measured through completion of Defra's Statutory Metric. The metric uses habitats as a proxy for biodiversity and calculates biodiversity value in standardised ‘biodiversity units.’ The value of habitats is calculated based on type, size, quality and local context.
Applicants should seek to reduce and avoid any loss in biodiversity onsite through site selection and sensitive scheme design. Where developers are able to demonstrate it is not feasible to achieve a 10% net gain onsite. Offsite options will be available through the use of offsite habitat banks and Statutory Credits. Offsite options are expected to be more costly and in the case of Statutory Credits are priced high in order to ensure these are used as a last resort. It is therefore important to involve an ecologist as early on in the project as possible to understand biodiversity net gain requirements and any associated financial implications.
On sites where BNG is required, clients will need to submit a metric completed with the existing habitat information and demonstrate how the increase in biodiversity value will be achieved. Once planning permission is granted, a pre-commencement general biodiversity gain planning condition will be applied. In order to discharge this planning condition, a Biodiversity Gain Plan will need to be submitted confirming how the 10% gain will be achieved, alongside a fully completed version of the Statutory Metric. Where onsite gains are provided a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) will also be required.
Our team of highly experienced ecologists is proficient in undertaking preliminary and detailed biodiversity net gain assessments of all complexities. We would be happy to talk through any BNG queries you may have.