How can my development achieve BNG?
Through site selection and layout design, you should retain and protect areas of high biodiversity value and so avoid or reduce negative impacts on biodiversity.
You must not undertake pre-emptive site clearance to reduce the biodiversity value of your site prior to the submission of your planning application.
The council offers BNG specific pre-application advice.
There are three ways in which you can achieve 10% BNG.
You must follow the steps in order, although you can combine all of the three options below. This order of steps is called the biodiversity gain hierarchy.
Developers are encouraged to follow this hierarchy from the earliest stage possible when selecting a site and considering development proposals.
The biodiversity gain hierarchy:
- You can enhance retained habitats and create new habitats on your development site (within the red-line boundary).
- If you can only deliver part of your BNG requirement onsite, you can achieve the rest of your requirement off-site, on land outside the red line boundary. This can either be on other land that you own, or you can buy off-site habitat units on the market.
- If you cannot achieve onsite or off-site BNG, you must buy statutory credits from the government, who will use the revenue to invest in large-scale habitat creation and enhancement projects in England. However, buying statutory credits must be a last resort.
View more information about the biodiversity gain hierarchy.
If your planning application is approved, your planning permission will include a general biodiversity gain condition. This means you must submit a Biodiversity Gain Plan for approval by the council prior to commencement of development. The Biodiversity Gain Plan will confirm how your development will meet the requirement of at least 10% BNG.
View more information about Biodiversity Gain Plans.
Page last updated: 12 February 2024
