Starting on 2nd April 2024, policies regarding Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) also apply to smaller development sites. This includes residential locations of less than 1 hectare with fewer than 10 homes and commercial sites of under a hectare or 1,000 square meters. While some types of sites will remain exempt, most development projects in England will now need to conform to BNG rules. Since, February 2024, major developments have been under BNG and the projects designated as “nationally significant infrastructure projects” (NSIPs) are expected to comply with BNG starting as of November 2025.
The Environment Act 2021 requires that biodiversity net gain (BNG) be put in place to guarantee that, as a result of development, any habitats that are damaged will be replaced—plus an additional 10% as an extra. The BNG mandates that, before projects secured by planning permission can commence, they must meet biodiversity requirements via the local planning authority (LPA) together with long-term goals for habitat monitoring and reporting.
How to deliver BNG?
Should they be unable to provide this directly at the development site, developers can make up the shortfall by purchasing off-site biodiversity units via habitat banks. As the proportion of natural habitat required to meet BNG is small relative to the size of most new developments, achieving this requirement and mimicking natural conditions should not pose much of a challenge.
Thus, off-site BNG providers will have a critically important role in helping enable small development projects. We have a system in place that allows us to request those units in a relatively inexpensive and manageable manner, which is crucial for the types of development projects we often work with.
This will allow our developer partners to satisfy their exact BNG demands, even when they involve amounts that are less than a full unit. We organise biodiversity units for development projects of all shapes and sizes in line with “Biodiversity Net Gain.”
Long-term liability in respect of habitat monitoring and reporting can be removed from the developer through us.
Our panel of RTPI planners stands ready to offer aid and direction concerning off-site biodiversity net gain (BNG), an option that may work for your project. We have already helped hundreds of developers meet their BNG obligations, which has helped them to move forward with some very exciting development projects. Follow DEFRA’s simple guide for developers if you would like to learn more. If you require any assistance concerning off-site biodiversity units, please reach out.
