What is Biodiversity Net Gain?
Biodiversity Net Gain, or BNG, is a new mandatory condition being attached to all larger planning permissions from 12 February 2024 and smaller ones from 2 April 2024, where any habitat lost by the development must be replaced with enhanced habitat elsewhere. The improvement in habitat needs to score at least 110% of the value of the habitat that is being lost, according to a metric that scores land in ‘biodiversity units’ developed by Natural England. There must be a commitment to maintain the new habitat in its target condition for at least 30 years.
Some local authorities may have stricter policies than the statutory minimum of 10% net gain anywhere in England. You can check your local authority’s BNG policies via our table which contains links to England’s 317 local councils’ references to BNG.
Full details of the new Biodiversity Net Gain regime are set out in a new Schedule 7A to the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.