Land Agent in Cumbria: Understanding Biodiversity Net Gain

Cumbria’s rural landscape is both diverse and distinctive, shaped by upland farms, historic estates and nationally important habitats. As land use policies continue to evolve, the role of land agents has become increasingly important. A land agent is a rural property specialist who supports the management, sale and development of land. While the role has traditionally focused on agriculture and estate management, modern land agents in Cumbria now work across conservation, planning, diversification and environmental projects.

Land agencies play a particularly valuable role in helping farmers and landowners navigate emerging environmental schemes, including Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). These schemes offer new ways to generate long-term income while supporting nature recovery and sustainable land use.

At Collington Winter Environmental, we work alongside farmers, landowners, chartered surveyors and developers across Cumbria. Our team assesses land for its biodiversity potential, calculates how many biodiversity units a site could generate and supports landowners in supplying those units to developers through habitat banking.

For many Cumbrian landowners, BNG represents a timely opportunity. As traditional agricultural subsidies continue to decline, income from habitat creation and long-term land management agreements is becoming increasingly attractive.

The responsibilities of a land agent in Cumbria vary depending on the type of land and the client’s objectives. However, most land agents provide a combination of practical, commercial and environmental advice tailored to rural property.

Typical services include:

Valuation and land sales – Carrying out land and property valuations, supporting sales and acquisitions, and negotiating terms on behalf of landowners. While some clients may first speak to a real estate agent, land agents bring specialist rural and environmental expertise that is essential for countryside and agricultural land.

Planning and development advice – Advising on land use strategy, planning application and development potential, particularly where land may have longer-term or strategic value.

Agricultural and environmental support – Helping landowners understand subsidy changes, BNG opportunities and sustainable or regenerative land management options.

Legal and regulatory compliance – Supporting clients in meeting legal responsibilities, including environmental designations, access rights and conservation requirements.

Biodiversity Net Gain is one of the most significant recent changes affecting rural land management. Introduced under the Environment Act 2021, BNG requires most major developments to deliver at least a 10% increase in biodiversity compared with the site’s condition before development.

Where this uplift cannot be achieved onsite, developers must secure offsite biodiversity units. This has created a growing market for landowners in Cumbria who are able to restore or enhance land for wildlife.

BNG sites can be registered on the BNG Market Register, which provides transparency and regulatory oversight for the creation and sale of biodiversity units. For landowners, this offers reassurance that agreements are recognised and secured for the long term.

A habitat bank is an area of land that is managed specifically to create or enhance biodiversity over a minimum period of 30 years. The land is often lower-productivity farmland, grassland or marginal areas that can be enhanced through habitat creation.

The resulting biodiversity uplift is measured using DEFRA’S Biodiversity Metric and expressed as biodiversity units. These units can then be sold to developers who need to offset environmental impacts elsewhere. For many landowners, habitat banking provides a stable and predictable income while supporting environmental outcomes.

Land Agents now play a central role in helping both landowners and developers engage with BNG. At Collington Winter Environmental, our BNG specialists provide support throughout the process, including:

Site assessment and feasibility – Identifying land that is suitable for habitat creation and biodiversity uplift.

BNG agreement negotiation – Structuring and negotiating long-term agreements between landowners and developers,

Biodiversity unit valuation – Advising on market demand, pricing and likely financial returns.

Planning and compliance – Ensuring BNG plans meet DEFRA metrics, Natural England guidance and local planning policy.

By coordinating ecological, planning and commercial considerations, land agents help ensure BNG projects are viable, compliant and well-managed.

At Collington Winter Environmental, our land agents in Cumbria work closely with landowners and developers to deliver expert, ecology-led advice. We assess habitats using the latest DEFRA metrics and prepare detailed Biodiversity Net Gain plans tailored to each site.

Whether you are a developer seeking BNG support or a landowner exploring habitat creation as a new income stream, our experienced team can guide you through every stage of the process.

To learn more about our professional services or speak to a land agent in Cumbria, contact us at info@collingtonwintet.co.uk, fill out the contact form below, or call 01204 939608.