Biodiversity Net Gain
The principle and fundamentals of BNG make sense and can play a pivotal role in rebuilding nature in the UK. However, multi-stakeholder learnings from the first six months of delivery of mandatory BNG indicate there are some revisions to the regulations and guidance that could ensure that delivery of BNG does make significant contributions to nature’s recovery.
Since February 2024, most new developments are obligated by government to leave the natural environment in a better condition than it was prior to their development activities. Under this new policy, the majority of developments will be legally required to deliver at least a 10% increase in natural habitat.
Many developers will be able to achieve this by incorporating features such as ponds or wildlife areas directly on the development site. However, if developers are unable to meet this requirement on their own site, they will be required to establish this natural habitat in another location nearby.
This presents an opportunity for farmers and landowners to diversify their land use, generate income and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity by making their land available for offset units.
However, some revisions to the regulations and guidance are required to ensure that delivery of BNG does make significant contributions to nature’s recovery.
Enhancing Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
Immediate Actions for Local Authorities:
1. Balance On-Site and Off-Site BNG
Ensure compliance with the BNG Hierarchy, prioritizing on-site biodiversity gains while acknowledging the realistic limits of urban developments. Develop county-level guidance to help applicants deliver achievable on-site enhancements and direct deficits to strategic off-site locations.
2. Apply and Review Exemptions
Work with Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to prevent overuse of BNG exemptions. Encourage voluntary BNG delivery from exempt developers to support broader ecological goals.
3. Expand Habitat Banks
Accelerate the establishment of habitat banks. Promote their creation, provide setup guidance, and conduct supply-demand assessments to strengthen the availability of BNG units. Enhance local BNG Site Registers to track and approve secure habitat schemes.
Advocating for Biodiversity Recovery:
1. Ensure True Additionality
Advocate for national guidance revisions to prevent “double counting” of habitats and ensure BNG delivers genuine biodiversity gains beyond existing policy requirements.
2. Incentivise Priority Areas
Increase incentives for habitat creation in Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) priority areas by enhancing the metric weighting for strategically significant projects.
3. Tighten Regulations and Close Loopholes
Advocate for mandatory BNG in all planning applications, including Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and retrospective applications. Push for regulatory changes to close loopholes and raise targets for NSIPs to at least 20%.