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Biodiversity Net Gain Plan

Our biodiversity net gain plans and reports help you to quickly understand the BNG implications on your site so you can reduce risk and save money. Hundreds of 5-Star Reviews can’t be wrong!

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Biodiversity Net Gain Plans

As of 12 February 2024, mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) has been in place throughout England, affecting applicable development proposals. Before then, it underwent a two-year transition period originally intended to end in November 2023, but since that point, it has become one of the key components within the planning system and even went as far as receiving a separate statutory biodiversity metric for small sites on 2 April 2024.

New development projects that fall under the biodiversity gain condition will need to leave the natural environment with measurable improvements post-development compared to pre-development, equating to a minimum of 10% for at least 30 years. The approach to development focuses on nature conservation and aims to protect biodiversity before building on it through habitat enhancement and restoration, as well as a number of other possible methods.

Under the new legislation, you will need to submit and receive approval from the relevant local planning authority for what is known as a biodiversity net gain plan. Without it, you will be unable to simplify the planning decisions for your planning officer, prove that your development proposal can deliver biodiversity net gain, or provide everything the corresponding local planning authorities will expect to get planning permission granted.

What is a Biodiversity Net Gain Plan?

Also known as a BNG plan for short, a biodiversity net gain plan sets out the instructions of how the biodiversity gain objective will be met by the developer. It will be submitted as part of the planning application to show that mandatory BNG is achievable. Over the course of making changes to achieve the biodiversity gain requirement, an ecological consultant would need to conduct a biodiversity net gain assessment, with the results and any recommended measures included in the biodiversity net gain plan.

Further information about the development site will be included, such as the pre-development biodiversity value recorded during the assessment, the post-development biodiversity value predicted based on the development plans, and the pre and post-development DEFRA biodiversity metric readings. It will also include the on-site habitat creation and restoration or off-site biodiversity gains that need to be obtained to remove the deficit between the two figures and increase by at least 10%.

Plans for Delivering BNG

In order to meet the legal requirement and deliver BNG, biodiversity net gain assessments will need to be carried out, leading to the creation of a BNG plan. If necessary, other surveys can then be conducted to support the plan, such as protected species surveys for wildlife species, additional ecology surveys, or a habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) to track the progress of biodiversity enhancements.

Below, we explain the process of conducting an assessment, creating a plan and report, and arranging other assessments if they are needed:

Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment

After a brief desk study to uncover any existing information about irreplaceable habitats on or near the development site, a biodiversity consultant will attend in person to begin calculating biodiversity net gain as part of the assessment. All ecological features and natural habitats of listed animals and plants will be documented, and the habitat quality and condition will be analysed and recorded.

Using the current biodiversity metric created by DEFRA, the relative biodiversity value of the site can be determined based on the habitats present. Each of them will be turned into a numerical figure, combined in the latest version of the DEFRA metric, and result in a number that reflects the site’s current value. A secondary figure predicting the state of the site after the development will then be created based on predicted habitat loss and habitat degradation as a result of the development plans.

It will then be up to the ecological consultant to work out how to improve biodiversity value on the site from before to after the planning project. On-site gains are preferred as it means meeting the planning condition in the affected area, but if it cannot be achieved on-site, the ecologist will have to use the last resort option of generating off-site gains by improving land outside of the red line boundary.

Off-site BNG can either be done through buying the same quantity of off-site biodiversity units from land-owners or through buying off-site credits from government-approved sources. The first option uses a national register of habitat banks to enhance biodiversity value on other sites and the second option effectively pays for biodiversity improvements in future developments elsewhere in the country through the purchase of statutory biodiversity credits.

Biodiversity Net Gain Plan

Following the biodiversity net gain assessment, the plan will provide further detail on how exactly the biodiversity consultant will go about delivering BNG, leaving the environment in a measurably better state. If it is possible to accomplish the planning requirements using onsite habitat, the mitigation hierarchy will be used to determine how to deal with any biodiversity loss and other issues, and habitat restoration and enhancement, new habitat creation and green infrastructure techniques will achieve biodiversity net gain.

Alternatively, enhancing habitats on the site using the biodiversity gain hierarchy won’t be enough to achieve BNG and offsite biodiversity units or statutory biodiversity credits will be needed. In this case, the BNG plan will also confirm how and why this was done, whether it involved paying land managers who own land for offsite habitats or buying statutory credits from public bodies. A legal agreement between the developer and the land-owner known as a conservation covenant will be needed if off-site BNG units were bought.

The parameters of conservation covenants will be detailed in the plan, confirming that the process of enhancing habitats will be maintained for at least 30 years by the land manager. Featuring comprehensive pragmatic solutions to avoid impacts on existing biodiversity and uncover great opportunities to create wildlife habitats, biodiversity net gain plans provide the local authorities with a full picture of how the developer will support the BNG guidance.

Biodiversity Net Gain Report

A report will list important information about the methods of securing BNG for the development, such as the current biodiversity present, the relevant biodiversity metric, and any plans drawn to an identified scale. Instead of setting out the method of significant on-site or off-site changes in the same way the BNG plan does, the BNG report displays key data, such as the pre-development and post-development biodiversity value readings and details about the site and project.

For instance, if the planning project involved smaller development sites and used the small sites metric, statutory protected sites such as sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), multiple developments, phased developments, nationally significant infrastructure projects or intended on generating marine net gain as a marine development, it would be addressed here. It could also reference any overlap with UK government policy, local plans, local nature recovery strategies, or the Environment Act where the BNG planning policy originated.

Meeting Further BNG Requirements

A number of different planning obligations in the planning process may need to be met before implementing BNG is realistic.

Common examples include a local authority requesting the completion of an overall biodiversity gain plan document, ongoing habitat and land management to ensure the necessary level is kept on the site for the agreed period, and other surveys based on the site or project, such as for air pollution, ancient woodland or specific living species present.

Biodiversity Gain Plan (BGP)

Similar in name to a biodiversity net gain plan, a biodiversity gain plan is a document created by DEFRA for developers to fill in, giving them an opportunity to summarise how they will mandate net gains of biodiversity.

Not all local planning authorities will ask for one, but a biodiversity gain plan must be created if it is specifically requested. The phase biodiversity gain plan form can then be completed with help and guidance from an ecological consultant.

Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP)

As the BNG requirement aims to leave development sites in an improved condition for at least three full decades, developers possess a specific duty to ensure that the existing protections last for the agreed period and that the attempt to achieve biodiversity net gain is successful.

Many developers are now having to start thinking long-term about the mandatory requirement, scheduling a habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) to continuously watch over the continued progress until the 30-year period expires.

Other Assessments

Additionally, other surveys and reports may be needed before all important habitats are addressed correctly, the developer’s responsibility has been fulfilled, and the local planning authority is satisfied.

Assessments and plans that could also be carried out in conjunction with a BNG assessment include:

a new build estate surrounded by trees
A residential estate in Wokingham that has been developed with biodiversity net gain measures in place.

BNG Plans from Arbtech

Since the UK’s departure from the EU where various new legislation was created to ensure that valuable ecological features were legally secured from adverse impacts, Arbtech has kept tabs on emerging developments leading up to the nationwide launch of mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG).

In the section below, you will find information about how we manage the process of creating biodiversity net gain plans, including how much it costs, what makes our team qualified, and how you can arrange for our team to create a quote based on your details.

How Much Does a Biodiversity Net Gain Plan Cost?

All of our services are priced up in a fair way, as we start with a baseline cost and only add to it using developer guidance in regard to the size of the development site and the scale of the planning project. In the specific case of major applications for planning permission that are affected by BNG, additional costs include the price of purchase for biodiversity units and credits if an offsetting scheme is needed.

For a relevant biodiversity net gain quote for your plot of land and requirements, it would be advisable to get in touch with us directly. It is worth noting, however, that the cost of our biodiversity net gain assessments and plans starts at £469+VAT, with the price then only likely to vary depending on your unique details and the cost of measures for retaining and enhancing biodiversity value and potentially buying offsite BNG units or credits from suitable sites.

What Makes Arbtech Qualified to Assemble BNG Plans?

Both major developments and minor developments up and down the country have benefitted from our input, leading to thousands of developers obtaining planning approval. At a local level, giving your local authority an easier job during the decision-making process by referring to our ecological expertise and strong support will only make it easier for you to find your way through the biodiversity gain condition.

Several pieces of legislation are connected to biodiversity net gain, including the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Conservation of Habitats Species Regulations 2017. We are aware of all connections between the law and BNG, as well as restrictions from each relevant responsible body such as Natural England, DEFRA and the Natural Capital Committee (NCC).

Every one of our biodiversity consultants has been educated and licenced to the required level, making them suited towards following good practice guidelines and offering effective further guidance. We are situated all over the country, leaving no area out of reach for our ecology team. Other than a few exemptions that bypass BNG such as self-build and custom-build applications, householder applications and home extensions among other listed exceptions, we encourage developers to speak to our friendly team and start the process of getting help with the national and local plan policy.

Request a BNG Plan for Your Permitted Development

Your biodiversity net gain plan must be submitted at the planning application stage, helping you to obtain planning permission. With this in mind, we would recommend speaking to us at an earlier date for us to measure biodiversity on your pre-development site before using the biodiversity metric and your plans to calculate the predicted post-development site value after the project.

From there, we can provide you with expert advice and work out what measures need to be taken for you to make BNG apply to your development, such as the installation of bat boxes or the purchase of biodiversity units or statutory biodiversity credits. Get a free quote by filling out the quote form at the top of this page, messaging us on social media, giving us a call or sending us an email.

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