Biodiversity Net Gain is an initiative that came into place for both major and small developments in early 2024 and is now mandatory for new planning applications.
The intention behind Biodiversity Net Gain is to contribute to the recovery of nature, whilst continuing to develop the land. This was implemented following the release of the State of Nature report which stated that, since the 1970s, there has been a 13% decline in the average wildlife throughout the UK. Ultimately, it is designed to ensure that the habitat is left in a better condition than it was before development took place.
The Biodiversity Net Gain initiative requires all developers to replace any lost biodiversity as a result of the development, and then further uplift the biodiversity of the site by 10%. There are some exemptions from this requirement, such as self builds.
Whilst developers are encouraged to achieve their Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) uplift on the same site as the development is taking place, this is not always possible depending upon the space available at the site and the types of habitat already in situ. If the developer can not achieve this on site then they can purchase BNG units from another location. The land owner that is selling the BNG units must conduct an assessment of the potential uplift in Biodiversity Net Gain on their site and commit to a 30 year improvement and maintenance agreement to achieve this uplift. This agreement can be in the form of a planning obligation (also known as a Section 106) or a Conservation Covenant.
This is where ProHort EcoShield come in as a Responsible Body!
The Responsible Body oversees the drawing up of the Conservation Covenant with the land owner who will be selling BNG units, agreeing with them the goals that are to be met and the work that can or can not be completed on the land. It is then the Responsible Body’s responsibility to monitor the implementation of the associated improvements and maintenance of the land to ensure that they are carried out as per the agreement.
Find out more about the process of working with us here.
Once the planning obligation or Conservation Covenant is in place, the units can be sold as part of a negotiation between land owner and developer.