Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP)

Habitat Management Plan to Accompany a Planning Application

In the process of achieving biodiversity net gain (BNG) and showing evidence of it to the local planning authority as a way of obtaining planning permission, multiple assessments, plans and reports may be needed. Not only that but additional steps could be added on top of that depending on the development site, such as a legal agreement with landowners or local authorities for securing gains on an external site or the use of the small sites metric on smaller developments.

Over a 30-year period, developers are expected to secure significant on-site enhancements and off-site compensation. The local council will need management and monitoring information as proof that a strategy is in place for maintaining biodiversity net gain throughout the duration of the developer’s duty. A habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) will be able to do this, and you can instruct Arbtech to create one for you as part of our BNG services.

What is a Habitat Management Plan?

Also sometimes called a habitat management plan or habitat enhancement plan, a habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) is the main template document for displaying a detailed outline of how an ecologist will be able to manage, maintain and monitor habitats on behalf of a developer over a set period of time. It is mainly used for biodiversity net gain (BNG) due to the planning obligation it poses to affected developers.

A crucial part of BNG that local planning authorities will need before being satisfied that the planning condition has been met is confirmation that the developer has arranged for long-term management of the increase in biodiversity value. Both on-site and off-site BNG need to last for at least 30 years, and with a habitat management monitoring plan template, the developer can demonstrate how the changes will be sustained over the expected duration.

Difference Between an HMMP and Other Biodiversity Net Gain Plans

Several different types of plans and reports are available to support the biodiversity net gain mandate and ensure developers remain compliant whenever it applies. Aside from the assessment criteria which occurs on a site-by-site basis such as the presence of protected species or other ecological features, developers will need to contend with a biodiversity gain plan, a biodiversity net gain plan and report in addition to a habitat management and monitoring plan.

In the table below, we explain in simple terms the distinctions between the three:

Type of Document	Aim	Submission Period	Duration
HMMP	Long-Term Habitat Management and Monitoring	After Planning Approval	Long-Term Delivery (30 Years)
BNG Plan and Report	Method of Delivering BNG and Details from the Assessment	Before Planning Approval	Planning Stage
Biodiversity Gain Plan	Action Plan and Instructions for Delivering BNG	Before Planning Approval	Short-Term Delivery

Habitat Management Plan Objectives

The key objectives of an HMMP include to:

1. Deliver and Maintain BNG
2. Inform Long-Term Management of Habitats
3. Regulate Biodiversity Outcomes
4. Frequently Analyse the Condition of Habitats
5. Remain Compliant with Legal Restrictions
6. Encourage Risk Mitigation and Adaptive Management
7. Make Clear the Roles and Duties of All Involved Parties
8. Promote Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development
9. Advertise Community Education and Engagement
10. Report to Stakeholders such as LPAs and Relevant Organisations

It also depends on whether the HMMP intends to make an onsite or offsite BNG provision:

On-Site Gains

In all development projects affected by BNG, accomplishing the mandate on-site will always be the preference.

Habitat management plans created to support on-site gains will only cover changes within the site boundary and could potentially be protected by a Section 106 agreement or conservation covenant.

The management will be undertaken by the developer or site manager, with the developer also conducting the ongoing monitoring. It will be the responsibility of the developer and site manager if any corrective action is needed.

Off-Site Gains

If it isn’t feasible to create, restore and enhance habitats on the site – or if habitat creation, restoration and enhancement aren’t enough to meet the required increase – off-site measures will be necessary.

Habitat management plans created to support off-site gains will only cover changes outside the site boundary and will usually need a Section 106 agreement or conservation covenant to ensure the changes are secured for 30 years.

The management will be undertaken by the landowner, a conservation charity or a relevant third party such as a wildlife trust, with the same third party also conducting the ongoing monitoring, and it will be the responsibility of the third party if any corrective action is needed, as dictated by conservation covenants.

Habitat Management Plan Report

Inside the legally binding report, monitoring results and management outcomes will be provided, starting with a general management and monitoring report template based on the development and proposed measures for sustaining positive changes to the natural environment before adding to it every time updates occur.

Data will be laid out in a concise Microsoft Excel template document, and details such as the statutory biodiversity metric, number of required units or credits, key habitats on the site, responsible body conditions such as from DEFRA or Natural England, and measures for meeting biodiversity net gain will be included.

The HMMP report offers a separate template and habitat guide for small developments, and once it’s been completed, it can be submitted with the planning application or by itself as a separate document. Relevant local planning authorities will then review management proposals from developers, confirming that BNG has been met and planning consent can be granted.

What Do You Need in a Habitat Management Plan?

As well as breaking down on-site significant enhancements and/or off-site units and credits, the draft HMMP will feature a selection of different components, making it act as a companion document after the developer has been able to gain planning acceptance.

Other information included within an HMMP includes:

Elements of an HMMP

Expert Habitat Management Plan Guidance

Learn more about our habitat management and monitoring plans, including how much they cost and how you can go about getting one of them made by a competent professional in our team.

Cost of an HMMP

All of the surveys we provide are calculated using the size of the development site, the complexity of habitats present, and the scope of the planning project. By doing this, we avoid charging all clients the same and prevent anyone from paying more than they need to.

It is the same situation with creating a habitat management and monitoring plan but with the added extra of the factors and variables presented by biodiversity net gain, such as the cost of biodiversity units and credits, and legal obligations such as conservation covenants and Section 106 agreements.

For an accurate valuation based on your specific details, it would be advisable to contact us directly so our team can speak to you, calculate the cost of an HMMP on your site, give you a free quote for you to consider, and see if you need any other assessments to satisfy the BNG requirements.

Request a Habitat Monitoring and Management Plan from Our Team

Developers are able to utilise companion guides and online articles from a responsible body to fill in their own HMMP, but even with that, the intervention of an ecological consultant will be crucial. Without it, the proposed off-site gains or on-site gains will not be seen as credible by the local planning authority, harming any attempt to obtain a successful planning application.

Ask for help with completing an HMMP, meeting the BNG planning obligation and achieving habitat enhancement by reaching out to our team. You can call us, email us, message us on social media or visit our contact page. We can then help you with a habitat management and monitoring plan and see if any other components are needed for you to appease your local authorities.