About Biodiversity Net Gain

As of 12^th February 2024, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is mandatory under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as inserted by Schedule 14 of the Environment Act 2021) for major applications. Since 2^nd April 2024, BNG is also mandatory for minor developments, with Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) expected to have mandatory BNG requirements in 2026.

All exemptions from BNG can be found on the DEFRA website . Always check the Local Planning Authority’s Local Plan to see if any of these exemptions are requested in local policy.

BNG is an approach which aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than beforehand. All developments required to adhere to the legislation must produce at least a 10% net gain, calculated by the Statutory Metric published by DEFRA. The compensation provision should follow both the Mitigation Hierarchy and the Biodiversity Gain Hierarchy.

Figure 1 Biodiversity Gain Hierarchy showing the order of preference for avoiding or mitigating impacts to habitats with the Mitigation Hierarchy inset for comparison, produced by NatureSpace.

Where impacts cannot be avoided and on-site enhancement/creation does not fulfil the 10% (or other gain requested under local policy) requirement, off-site compensation through providers, such as NatureSpace, can be sought. What’s more, through our integrated package you can compensate for impacts to great crested newts at the same time as meeting your BNG requirements – ensuring an efficient and effective route to fulfilling your planning duties.

Integrated Biodiversity Net Gain

We are proud to offer developers a time and cost-efficient route to obtaining both their great crested newt licence and Biodiversity Net Gain units through our integrated delivery package.

Using a stacked, off-site nature-based solution our integrated delivery package offers developers a one-stop-shop for fulfilling both BNG and great crested newt licencing requirements without sacrificing outcomes for nature – in fact, our integrated approach is designed to deliver better environmental outcomes.

So, how does it work?

1. We work closely with the developer and their ecologists to understand the needs of their project, so that we can present a suitable compensation package covering their offsite unit requirements.
2. Our dedicated team of Technical Officers will calculate the compensation habitat requirements of their great crested newt District Licence following our usual procedure. This habitat can provide value to both great crested newts and Biodiversity Net Gain using the stacking principles outlined above.
3. The compensation already created under the District Licence for their project will contribute to their overall BNG needs, thereby reducing the costs to the developer for their tailored BNG package.
4. Our Technical Officers will support the developer throughout the planning and post-planning process, to ensure the journey is as easy as possible.

You can read more about our integrated package in the flyer below.

Outcomes for Nature

NatureSpace is a mission driven company founded with the express purpose of delivering better outcomes for nature; this remains at the heart of our Biodiversity Net Gain delivery.

Our compensation sites are carefully chosen to strategically contribute to the restoration of biodiversity across the landscape. We work closely with LPAs and landowners to get the best results, benefiting nature, landowners and the local communities as they begin to see natural processes restored and nature recovering.

If our integrated BNG package sounds like the type of scheme you’d like to invest in, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.