Last updated: November 2024
Author: Rob Lambert
Editor at Arbtech, Rob is a content specialist who manages our ecology and arboriculture services copy to ensure it is accurate, up to date, and insightful for current and future clients.
BNG Requirements Followed in Hampshire
The Environment Act 2021 includes biodiversity net gain (BNG) as one of several key policies aimed at improving the natural environment, especially during planning projects. Specifically, BNG requires not only maintaining the pre-development biodiversity and ecological value but also increasing it to a measurably better state by at least 10% after the development is complete.
To give developers and local authorities time to adjust to the policy, the UK government introduced an optional two-year transition period. While some councils opted to wait for BNG to become mandatory, others have required developers to demonstrate compliance immediately. Hampshire County Council is one such authority that was already operating under BNG guidelines, meaning all development projects had to take it into account straight away before it eventually became mandatory.
Other Biodiversity Measures
In addition to the existing local nature recovery strategy (LNRS), Hampshire County Council published a climate change action plan and strategy outlining the plans for enhancing local biodiversity between 2020 and 2025. The primary purpose of both documents is to support an approach to development that will consider the legal requirement introduced by the Environment Bill and specialist expertise that will encourage sustainable development, as well as highlight the local significance of protected sites and biodiversity opportunity areas, such as the South Downs National Park.
The report touches on the general biodiversity gain condition, referencing the importance and strategic significance of the BNG policy, particularly when it comes to eligible planning permission applications. Early adoption of it in Hampshire was partly driven by the positive impacts it could have on major planning projects, such as improvements to key transport infrastructure within the county and the potential benefits on larger developments and certain other development types that would otherwise infringe on ancient woodland and other sensitive areas.
Why You Require Specialist Technical Input
With the passing of the Environment Act, all policies within it including BNG became law. Although the two-year transition meant that BNG wouldn’t be mandatory for all developers in England until late 2023 (before delays until the following year), developers in Hampshire needed to follow BNG guidelines sooner or face possible planning application refusal from the local planning authority.
Two phases were used for the release of the biodiversity net gain policy, with one on 12 February 2024 for all larger developments that apply and a second on 2 April 2024 for all smaller developments and different project types that apply – namely, a designated biodiversity metric for small sites. Applicants engage in eligible applications for all sorts of developments, and so the coverage across other forms of planning projects cater for a developer’s ability to submit information for new applications, regardless of the development.
To ensure compliance with BNG, developers are advised to work with an ecological consultant. These experts can measure the current biodiversity value of a site with a DEFRA metric, assess the ecological features, and calculate the post-development biodiversity value based on proposed plans. The consultant will help identify and eliminate any deficits between these values and ensure a 10% biodiversity increase.
Evaluation of a Site Area
While it is helpful for developers to understand BNG – especially with its increasing importance in future planning – the expertise of an ecological consultant is essential. A professional ecologist can visit a development site at a scheduled time to conduct the necessary assessments and produce a biodiversity net gain plan. During the visit, the ecologist will inspect all areas of the site, documenting the ecological features and following criteria that remain in line with the relevant published LNRS and corresponding legislation such as the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
By comparing the existing biodiversity value with the projected post-development value, they can determine the required changes to meet or exceed the 10% biodiversity net gain target. The ecological consultant can then provide compensatory habitat, account for protected species, use the mitigation hierarchy and dissect the further details from the inspection to secure a 10% BNG increase.
A well-prepared BNG plan not only offers valuable insights for developers but also serves as credible evidence that a site has been thoroughly assessed and all ecological requirements have been met in the eyes of Hampshire County Council. The planning department will place significant weight on such a biodiversity gain plan when considering planning applications.
Meet the Mandatory BNG Policy
Our quotes depend on the size and scope of your project, so it’s best to contact us directly for a free quote. You can do this by calling us at the number listed on our website, filling out our online quote form, or visiting our contact page. Once you confirm that you would like to work with us, we will schedule a site visit for a BNG assessment to assist with your general planning condition application.
On the assessment day, our expert ecologists will collect all the necessary further information to develop a comprehensive biodiversity net gain plan. With it, we will be able to help you with your pre-application discussions, put forward strongly recommended measures, and support you to meet Hampshire County Council’s requirements and secure planning consent.