Biodiversity Net Gain – East Riding of Yorkshire Council

Applying BNG to East Yorkshire

With the Environment Act becoming law in 2021, biodiversity net gain (BNG) has emerged as a vital mechanism for protecting and enhancing the natural world in England, helping to conserve and preserve an important species’ irreplaceable habitats. The planning condition enforces that all relevant development projects demonstrate an improvement of at least 10% net gain in biodiversity value compared to the existing pre-development levels and sustain it for the minimum period of at least 30 years.

A two-year adjustment period allowed developers and planning authorities to familiarise themselves with the new rules. As of January 2024, however, compliance with BNG is mandatory in England, with a few exceptions. East Riding of Yorkshire Council has embraced the policy, leveraging BNG to bolster their efforts in habitat restoration and ecological enhancement. The shift not only aligns with national goals for nature recovery but also reflects the unique natural heritage and general rural affairs of the area.

Biodiversity Priorities in the Development Process

The East Riding of Yorkshire Council has set ambitious goals for biodiversity enhancement, underpinned by initiatives such as the Local Nature Recovery Strategy. The strategies focus on safeguarding key ecological areas, including the Yorkshire Wolds, the Humber Estuary and Holderness, which are home to a range of protected species and vital habitats. On a wider scale, environmental land management schemes and planning policies play a role in supporting the natural environment, helped by the use of primary and secondary legislation and nature conservation sites and European sites.

To guide developers, supplementary planning documents emphasise the importance of incorporating biodiversity net gain from the Environment Act 2021 into project plans across the region. With help from the Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and the National Farmers Union, the council prioritises restoration in areas identified as Biodiversity Opportunity Areas (BOAs) and aims to reverse habitat loss by focusing on native woodland expansion, wetland preservation and grassland restoration.

Collaboration plays a crucial role in these efforts. East Riding works closely with partners like the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the Humber Nature Partnership to deliver ecological improvements. Such work from these partnerships ensures that biodiversity enhancement is integrated seamlessly into the planning process, benefitting both the environment and local communities. Outside of exemptions such as custom housebuilding projects, certain non-residential projects and sites less than one hectare in size, a BNG plan will be needed to guarantee that the legal agreement has been met.

Efforts to Provide Net Gain in the Site Area

Biodiversity net gain is a transformative policy for developers in East Riding of Yorkshire, particularly in areas rich in natural assets like the Humber Estuary and Flamborough Head. Under the policy and with an experienced ecologist’s help, developers must demonstrate that their projects leave the site in a better ecological state than before and ensure that there are methods to avoid biodiversity losses and generate sufficient habitat creation.

Using the DEFRA biodiversity metric, ecologists assess the pre-development biodiversity value of a site and predict the post-development value based on proposed plans. For areas of high ecological significance – such as better quality habitats, coastal habitats, Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or areas listed within the nature recovery network – developers must tread carefully to avoid causing irreversible damage.

If it is not possible to achieve a 10% biodiversity net gain increase on-site, developers may need to explore off-site compensation measures. It can be done by contributing to seeing a new habitat created or purchasing biodiversity units as a habitat parcel of third-party land from land owners and land managers. The council actively encourages developers to contribute to local nature recovery projects, which could include wetland creation or tree planting schemes in the Wolds.

Inspections of Habitats Present

For developers planning projects in the East Riding area, the first step towards meeting BNG requirements is a professional ecological survey of the site resulting in the creation of a biodiversity net gain plan. A qualified ecologist will document existing habitats, species and ecological features to calculate the site’s baseline biodiversity value. Based on the findings, ecologists can propose tailored solutions for the affected development sites.

A statutory biodiversity metric will be used to formulate a baseline value and a predicted value to compare the two metric calculations, account for habitat degradation and destruction undertaken as part of the new development, and work out how the mitigation hierarchy can compensate for the loss of any priority habitats, protect higher-value habitats and discover opportunities of strategic significance to complete the biodiversity net gain process and improve the site to a better state.

While there are clear financial incentives to achieving biodiversity gain on-site, it may not be possible to see enough units legally secured on the development site itself. Whenever this happens, ecological consultants will move on to the last resort option of investing in land owned by approved sellers. Owners and managers of land selling biodiversity units allow for BNG to be delivered elsewhere, or if even this step won’t suffice, an ecologist can suggest buying statutory credits from UK government sources.

Once completed, the BNG plan serves as a crucial document in the BNG process, helping developers with their planning application by demonstrating compliance with the pre-commencement condition of national and local biodiversity goals. In East Riding – where local authorities are keen to champion environmental sustainability – a clear and comprehensive BNG plan can streamline the approval process in the eyes of the local planning authorities.

Achieve Net Gain and Receive Environmental Management with Arbtech

With extensive knowledge of the unique ecological challenges and opportunities in the East Riding of Yorkshire, our team of experienced ecologists is well-equipped to assist your project. We can help with minor development and major development projects that apply, and we’ve been fully aware of the implications of the biodiversity net gain requirements long before they were mandated on 12 February 2024 and 2 April 2024 (for small sites).

To get started, simply fill out our quick quote form or contact us by phone or email. Once we’ve gathered details about your site and project, we’ll provide a free quote and arrange a site visit at your convenience. From initial surveys and seeing development potential to delivering a complete BNG plan and conducting other assessments, we’ll work with you to ensure your development not only meets planning requirements but also enhances East Riding’s natural environment for future generations.