Biodiversity Net Gain

The introduction of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislation will see new development projects facing significant environmental considerations. The new legislation is being introduced as part of the Environment Act 2021 and will be coming into effect from November 2023. It aims to measure the improvement and condition of biodiversity in an area and requires an increase of at least 10% as part of all future project developments.

For this to be achieved, a biodiversity gain plan must be submitted by the relevant person alongside the submission of planning permission prior to the development commencing, with both requiring approval. A biodiversity gain plan must set out the steps to be taken to minimise habitat impact, including the plan for habitat creation or enhancement of relevant locations.

Biodiversity net gain can be achieved in a variety of ways, such as through the enhancement or creation of habitat, or through the purchase of biodiversity credits. Habitat improvement should aim to be achieved on-site, but the objectives of the biodiversity gain plan can also be achieved through the improvement of offsite habitat.

The biodiversity net gain percentage can be derived from DEFRA’s calculation tool, biodiversity metric 4.0, which has been specially designed for determining biodiversity net gain. Factors such as habitat, type, size, and distinctiveness are considered by the tool as well as intervention measures such as habitat enhancement or creation. More information on Metric 4 can be found here.

The legislation will be effective from November 2023 for developments which commence after this date and from April 2024 for small sites smaller than 1 hectare. For more information, please visit the government website.