8 biodiversity net gain points on planning your project
Image: surveyor checking stones on the ground. Planners have been discussing the confluence of housing and environmental issues in respect of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). Here are the main points: Key questions? What legal requirements stem from the 2021 Environment Act? What is needed for successful implementation? Following the mitigation hierarchy, how do we balance […]
How Architects Can Solve Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
Image: surveyor in green hat with clipboard in field. BNG has been made a requirement to be legally followed in all new construction projects. It should not be viewed as merely another planning hurdle, but as a significant and real opportunity to push for sustainable designs to come into being. The essential principle of biodiversity […]
Top 12 questions by planners about Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
Image: female surveyor with iPad and rucksack standing in forest. 1. How would you create a model that produces zero risk from judicial review? If local planning authorities (LPAs) set up their own sites that are not separate from the authorities’ planning functions, then there is a significant risk of legal challenge to a planning […]
BNG for Small Development Projects
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 […]
Biodiversity Net Gain Explained
Image: surveyor holding paper and looking over river. The Government’s 25-year Environment Plan has, as one of its objectives, “to leave the environment in a better state than we found it.” As expressed in the Environment Act, starting in 2024, developers will need to ensure at least a 10% net gain in biodiversity on their […]
Benefitting Nature & Developers with Biodiversity Surveyors
Image: drone hovering over river in field. The Environment Act’s biodiversity net gain (BNG) legislation has a 2-year phasing-in period, which ends in November 2023. That means developers must ensure they leave an area of land more ecologically rich and diverse than it was before they started development. Otherwise, you don’t get planning permission. The […]
How to Conduct a Biodiversity Impact Assessment: a Guide for Developers
About Biodiversity Net Gain BNG is a concept that could dramatically change the environmental planning scene. It now obligates all developers to ensure that their projects do not diminish the environment but actually enhance it. The “net gain” is determined using the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) biodiversity metric. What is the […]
