Our ecologists have extensive experience in measuring and calculating Biodiversity Net Gain, using the Statutory Biodiversity Metric.
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development, and / or land management, that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was beforehand. In practice, Biodiversity Net Gain typically refers to development that makes a positive contribution to biodiversity, by avoiding or mitigating harm to biodiversity assets and delivering improvements through habitat creation.
There is now a legal requirement for every new planning permission to deliver at least a 10% net increase in biodiversity. This net increase can be achieved through delivering biodiversity gains within the site boundary, or by purchasing registered off-site Biodiversity Units or Statutory Biodiversity Credits. A number of exemptions currently apply for qualifying planning applications, with full details of the exemptions detailed on the Gov.UK website. In addition, many Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) will also have specific Policies in place in relation to Biodiversity Net Gain that may need to be satisfied.
Once planning permission has been granted, a general ‘Biodiversity Gain Condition’ will be applied as a pre-commencement planning condition. This requires that a Biodiversity Gain Plan (BGP) be submitted before commencement of the development. However, it is important to think about Biodiversity Net Gains and the associated implications well in advance of submitting a planning application, in order to maximise on-site opportunities and to avoid potentially considerable off-site costs.
Biodiversity Net Gain in England is measured using the Statutory Biodiversity Metric. This is essentially a visual planning tool intended to allow an objective / quantitative and quantifiable measure of biodiversity within a site to be calculated, and forms one part of the process to demonstrate whether Biodiversity Net Gains can be achieved.
Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments must abide by the mitigation hierarchy, which is as follows:
- In the first instance harm should be avoided, by locating development at a different site, or altering masterplans;
- Where this is not possible the impacts should be mitigated, for instance through the detailed design of the development, and then remediated where possible;
- Lastly, any residual impacts should be compensated for, for instance by restoring or recreating habitat elsewhere.
Allied Ecology has significant in-house capability an expertise to advise clients / project teams, on how to achieve Biodiversity Net Gains on-site. Where this simply isn’t possible as an on-site solution, we work with our clients to secure off-site solutions through third-party brokers and signing up to Council-led offsetting schemes.