Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)

BNG is a strategy to stop the loss of nature. It is a way to allow development of land but guaranteeing that development contributes to the recovery of nature. It is a tool that will ensure habitats for wildlife are in a better condition than they were before development, to allow flourishment of biodiversity above its existing state.

The Environment Act was passed into UK law in 2021. The Act was brought in to halt the decline of species by 2030 and introduces a mandatory minimum 10% biodiversity net gain within development to ensure development improves or creates new habitats for nature. This is in addition to existing legislation for protected habitats and species. 

Draft Supplementary Planning Document 

The Council consulted on a draft Supplementary Planning Document in early 2024. This has not been adopted by the Council, however it is a useful resource that provides some guidance on the implementation of BNG and how it will impact your planning application. The documents consulted on can be found below:

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Supplementary Planning Document January 2024 [pdf] 799KB

Strategic Environmental Assessment and Habitats Regulations Assessment Screening Report [pdf] 427KB

What you will need to submit with your planning application

All developers should submit a:

  • Biodiversity Net Gain Statement [docx] 69KB
  • A site plan, drawn to an identified scale marked with the direction of north, showing on-site habitat existing on the date of application (or an earlier date), including any irreplaceable habitat
  • A completed biodiversity metric (as an Excel file type), for both pre-development and post-development
  • A draft Biodiversity Gain Plan

A final Biodiversity Gain Plan and a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) will need to be submitted and approved by the Council before work can start. Templates for these documents can be found below:

Further information and support

You can find more details about BNG on 'Understanding Biodiversity Net Gain' 

There are a number of online tools that have been created to help developers meet BNG requirements. Joe's Blooms is one of these, further details on the support and services they offer can be found on this link - BNG Tool - Biodiversity Net Gain Calculator - Joe’s Blooms (joesblooms.com)