BNG is now a legal requirement for all planning applications!
As of the 1st January 2024, Biodiversity Net Gain is now a legal requirement for all planning applications in the UK.
To help you with this, we created this simple guide to BNG and below list out 3 things you might not realise, but do need to know in order to get your applications through.
At Biodiversity Units UK, we’re trying to take the pain out of BNG for developers, ecologists and planning consultants. By making this easy to understand, simple to purchase, with units that are competitively priced but at the same time of the highest quality and credibility - that's our pitch to you.
3 things you might not realise >
1. All planning applications need a Biodiversity Gain Plan! Otherwise you’ll fail
Here’s a template to use, but crucially as well as details on your proposed development you’ll also need to specifically reference how and where you propose to deliver BNG.
For offsite BNG, you’ll need to fill in details of this purchase and ‘Biodiversity Gain Site Register Reference Number’. Which means you’ll have to have secured the units in order to submit your planning application.
2. You / or your ecologist must now use the mandatory DEFRA Metric
There have been numerous different versions of the DEFRA Metric (the excel template that you need to fill out to ensure you have achieved 10% Bio Net Gain).
We see a range of these sent in to us by ecologists and developers, but as of January 2024 only the new mandatory metric is valid. Download it here
Fear not, this is very similar to the previous versions so your ecologist should be able to go back and rework the information.
If you're working with an offsite BNG provider like us, we'll need to help you or your ecologist fill in these off-site sections.
3. Not many suppliers have locked down BNG Units
As of January 1st 2024 almost no BNG suppliers have in the the place all the necessary paperwork to guarantee their Units.
This includes a 30 year Habitat Management Plan (specific to units being acquired), Section 106 with LPA (provides formal assurance of right to sell units, plan and obligations in place to deliver, overseen by LPA), Commercial BNG "Supply & Assurance" Agreement (bi-lateral with developer)
Biodiversity Units UK has these documents in place with units ready to go.
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We’re here to help!
This is a new market, we have spent the last year getting up to speed with all the legislation and through our partnership with Nattergal, have deep knowledge and credibility of the UK Rewilding and Biodiversity industry.
Without any commitment or even the prospect of a deal we're happy to help, give advice and get you more knowledgeable on BNG. So email us and we can set up a call to talk you through any questions you have.
Eventually we know that people will come back to us, to buy BNG units. But for now we just want to help planning consultants, ecologists and developers to get everyone up to speed.