Biodiversity Gain Plan

A Breakdown of the Biodiversity Gain Plan Document

Developments that fall within mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) need to undergo a handful of steps, including the staging of a biodiversity net gain assessment carried out by an ecological consultant and the subsequent creation of a biodiversity net gain plan and report.

BNG assessments use the biodiversity metric tool calculation to measure the present and predicted relative biodiversity value before and after the project, and BNG plans and reports explain how to deliver biodiversity net gain and display further detail from the survey, such as the number of biodiversity units needed to secure measurable net gains.

Another element in the process is the use of a document known as a biodiversity gain plan. Not all local authorities will ask for one to be provided, but as it could be crucial in your efforts to confirm your biodiversity net gain approach to your planning officer, it would be advisable to grow an understanding of them in case it is important to make sure your development meets the BNG requirements.

What is a Biodiversity Gain Plan?

A phase biodiversity gain plan template is available online for a developer to retrieve and complete, indicating how they intend to deliver the biodiversity net gain requirements.

Its primary objective is to explain how measurable improvements will be made to see a required increase in overall biodiversity value to a necessary level. However, it also ensures that any other legal requirement – including any linked to BNG and the wider Environment Act 2021 – is met, and it encourages a sustainable approach to development, such as through green infrastructure.

Components of an Overall Biodiversity Gain Document

A biodiversity gain plan for delivering BNG includes:

1. Baseline Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment

• Analyses the presence, condition and value of wildlife habitats across the site, with an emphasis on priority habitats and irreplaceable habitat sites.
• Establishes the pre-development biodiversity value using the statutory biodiversity metric.

2. Suggested Biodiversity Enhancements

• Explains how the development will deliver net gain of biodiversity by at least 10% or higher depending on the local authority’s minimum requirement.
• Lists measures to see the mandate delivered on-site, such as new habitat creation or existing habitat enhancement and restoration; if necessary, also lists off-site compensation and mitigation measures, such as the purchase of off-site biodiversity units or off-site statutory biodiversity credits.

3. Calculation for Delivering Net Gain

• Creates a post-development score based on the post-development plans and compares it to the pre-development score recorded during the baseline development.
• Demonstrates how the policy requirement will be achieved on-site or off-site.

4. Execution within the New Development Projects

• Details how on-site or off-site enhancements will be made before and after the development in the planning process.
• Lists responsible parties in this, such as any responsible body, the input of ecological expertise and the developer’s responsibility to the statutory requirements.

5. Biodiversity Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP)

• If applicable, include a habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) to break down the long-term environmental benefits and strategies to ensure that habitat and land management methods incorporate biodiversity improvements that can be secured for at least 30 years, as required by UK law.
• Performance reviews of the suggested structure for retaining and improving the site’s biodiversity will be included.

6. Legal Obligations and Financial Commitments

• Sets out any legal or financial factors as part of the planning obligation and provides several steps to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state.
• Includes such things as Section 106 agreements, conservation covenants, and financial contributions for off-site credits bought from government-approved organisations or off-site units bought from habitat banks on a national register.

7. Engagement with Key Stakeholders and Communities

• Confirms the outcome of any consultations with local communities, local decision-makers, public bodies, ecologists, local planning authorities, and both governmental and non-governmental organisations.
• References any overlap with local nature recovery strategies (LNRS), the natural capital committee (NCC), national planning policy framework (NPPF), climate change, concerns over water and air quality, government policy and local plans, as well as key components on a case-by-case basis, such as nationally significant infrastructure projects, phased developments, multiple developments within the same red line boundary, smaller development sites, and marine net gain for marine development.

Difference Between a Biodiversity Gain Plan and a Biodiversity Net Gain Plan

Although the two are given extremely similar names within the planning system, a biodiversity gain plan (BGP) and a biodiversity net gain plan (BNG plan) are actually different from each other. A biodiversity gain plan is a document form created to meet the biodiversity gain objective, while a biodiversity net gain plan is a much larger and more comprehensive document.

The BGP answers questions provided by the UK government via the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to retrieve further information about the existing site and the chosen method to improve biodiversity and bypass unwanted biodiversity losses. The BNG plan, on the other hand, sets out the relevant biodiversity metric, the steps taken for calculating biodiversity net gain, lists the ecological features present, highlights any negative impacts, confirms if on-site gains are sufficient or if biodiversity offsetting is needed, and effectively creates a full picture for how the developer can achieve BNG.

Many local planning authorities will request a completed biodiversity net gain plan for the permitted development to demonstrate how they will go about implementing BNG, but not all local core policies call for a biodiversity gain plan. That said, both documents complement each other in abiding by the legal agreement, representing their specific duty to environmental management, and helping to see planning permission granted.

Requirements for a Biodiversity Gain Plan

To aid the decision-making process, local plan policy in the site area may call for a biodiversity gain plan. Whatever the case, a mandatory BNG plan and report would be needed, but it may not be possible to make planning decisions where BNG apply based on the new legislation without a BGP.

Reasons for Requesting a Plan

At the planning application stage, the corresponding local planning authorities may ask for a BGP in specific development proposals, such as projects involving:

Other circumstances include the development of educational or healthcare facilities or on development sites that contain protected species or are recognised as sensitive areas or statutory protected sites, such as areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), national parks or nature reserves.

Due to the universal nature of biodiversity gain plans, a local authority can actually request one any time a development is subject to the biodiversity net gain policy. More than anything, the choice comes down to the specific requirements and discretion of the relevant local planning authority.

Compliance with BNG

Since the two-year transition period ended in November 2023 and major development schemes were required to mandate net gains of biodiversity from 12 February 2024 onwards (2 April 2024 for the small sites metric), the biodiversity gain requirement has posed massive ecological importance, weighing heavily on the outcome of planning approval.

The strong support of existing legislation such as the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006, the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 has worked to encourage developers to start thinking about their aims to leave the natural world in an improved condition compared to the earlier habitat state.

An integral part of many developers’ aims will be to work towards securing BNG, but it is equally important to work out if your local authority wants a BGP in order to move past the biodiversity gain condition. In the first instance, it would be worthwhile to contact the local authority or do it through an ecological consultant to see if a BGP is of local importance to them.

Download a Plan Online

It is worth noting that for a BGP to be completed correctly, an ecological consultant would need to fill it out, providing developer guidance and pragmatic solutions in all the right places. The ecologist can also determine if further guidance is needed, and if it is, plan and execute other surveys, such as a preliminary ecological appraisal (PEA), ecological impact assessment (EcIA) or assessments for wildlife species, air pollution, ancient woodland or veteran trees, for example.

With that in mind, it is vital that a BGP for a planning project is only filled out with the insightful BNG guidance of a qualified and licenced biodiversity consultant. For a better idea of what a BGP looks like and what it involves, you can find the BGP form template that DEFRA published online.

Seek Help from Our Team

In current and future developments, we are prepared to enhance biodiversity present on the pre-development site and reduce habitat degradation as part of the now-existing protections introduced by BNG. We’ve been involved with all factors surrounding biodiversity net gain since the Environment Act gained royal assent and even as far back as the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU), such as the biodiversity gain hierarchy, the latest version of the DEFRA biodiversity metric, onsite and offsite biodiversity units, and various methods of measuring biodiversity and enhancing habitats to promote nature conservation.

Based on our knowledge of BNG, planning conditions and natural habitats, we can assist you with all stages of the process of delivering enough legally secured BNG units or credits for your development work, including the completion of a biodiversity gain plan. We are also aware of the latest updates from Natural England and DEFRA, giving us every chance to find great opportunities to protect biodiversity and deal with other issues accordingly.

Let us get an understanding of the identified scale of your development by contacting us on our website, over the phone, via email or through social media. Our friendly team can then send a free quote for calculating the predicted and current biodiversity metric on your development site and attend in person to gauge the general condition of all habitats present, help you navigate through the mandatory BNG requirements, and obtain a granted planning application.