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Since biodiversity net gain is so closely tied to ecology and environmental science, the consultants who work on this relatively new form of consultancy typically have backgrounds in those fields.
Our panel of BNG surveyors are ecologists in the service of planning policy in both public and private interests located throughout the UK, including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol and Cardiff.
A biodiversity net gain consultant uniquely serves an ecological purpose because of their extensive training and knowledge of threatened plant and animal life. When they visit a development site, they are qualified to analyse ecological features and calculate a “biodiversity net gain.”
This involves a set of procedures that leads the consultant to understand the value of the biodiversity on site before, and then consider what might happen to it after, development. A determination is made on how to improve the biodiversity by 10% using the DEFRA biodiversity metric. The result is that there will be a positive impact for at least 30 years.
The biodiversity net gain procedure is a somewhat esoteric process dependent on a number of measures that vary from site to site, but the process itself holds great implications for what is happening to the natural environment all around us and for what is likely to arise in the future.
When it is not feasible to meet on-site requirements, the consultant may suggest buying biodiversity credits as a way to achieve biodiversity net gain. They will include in the net gain plan all the details from the physical inspection of the site, including information about the BNG assessment itself and from the ecology finds associated with the specific plot of land.
The BNG plan and report will serve to inform the developer and the planning authority about the current site conditions and effective measures that will lead to the necessary outcome. A BNG survey makes a net gain plan much more comprehensive than those typically produced for standard ecological surveys.
To perform a biodiversity net gain assessment, one must have the proper qualifications and experience. BNG consultants start out with relevant course or degree in fields closely related to ecology, such as biological sciences or environmental management.
While earning their qualification, candidates also engage in a large variety of work placements. These are with ecological associations, consultancies, charities, and other organisations. This leads them to work as ecological surveyors, boosting their employability, and, as a result, makes them capable professionals who can perform biodiversity net gain assessments.
When developers need to find a service provider that can carry out a BNG assessment and produce a BNG plan, they look for reputable ecological consultancies. With more than 10 years of experience in providing “high-quality service”, a number of developers select Biodiversity Surveyors to undertake BNG-related work.
As an ecological organisation, our objective is good advice and practical solutions to our clients. We deliver essential biodiversity net gain plan services, rendering us capable of solving good and bad ecological matters.
The good ecological issues are those that concern our clients when they first come to us – a development permit is what they seek, but they need to make environmental improvements. The bad ecological issues are those that somehow arise when the development happens and concern the development’s neighbours or a decrease in biodiversity.
The next step is a straightforward conversation with you and our team to ascertain whether a BNG plan truly is the best way forward and will be suitable for your project. If we then agree to help you with BNG, the next step in the process is to send a BNG consultant, who is suitably qualified and experienced, out to your site for a visit.
On the visit, this consultant will index all ecological features currently present on-site and will then gauge, using a mixture of the current information and knowledge of how the project plans to proceed, what adjustments need to be made so that (a) the development can go ahead, and (b) when it has gone ahead, that it won’t result in a loss of biodiversity and will fulfil the requirement of a 10% net gain.
After your BNG assessment is finished, your biodiversity consultant will begin drafting your custom BNG plan. In just a few days, you should have it in hand. This document holds all the necessary information that you and the relevant local planning authorities need for achieving BNG. With this document in hand, you may then submit it to your local council’s planning department alongside your application for planning consent.
A lot of good can come from going through Biodiversity Surveyors to navigate BNG requirements. Start with receiving a free quote with specifications before we begin any work. All you have to do is contact us by filling out our handy quotation form. When you do, feel free to share as much information about your project and site as you can. The more we know, the better we can quote.
If you have looked over the quote and are satisfied with it, send confirmation of your instruction, and we can work with you to ascertain a date and time that work well for your schedule. After we have collaborated to find a good opportunity to organise the survey, a consultant specialising in biodiversity net gain (BNG) will come to your site, perform the BNG assessment, and prepare the report such that it is ready for use in your planning and development.
We deploy a number of licensed ecologists and experts in biodiversity net gain who have extensive years of experience and, more importantly, have been successful in delivering results. For these professionals, “delivering results” means helping developers achieve biodiversity net gain. The ecological services provided for such assessments by these professionals include:
We can offer services to help you through the biodiversity net gain process, as required under the Environment Act 2021, for development projects in England. The process can be broken down into various components. First and foremost is the consultation. We will work with you and your team to understand your project and what kind of development you are doing. Then your surveyor will offer advice and use their expertise to help ensure it is done in a legally compliant manner to obtain the best possible outcome for you and the environment.
