Land Agent in Kent: Understanding Biodiversity Net Gain

Rural land management across Kent is changing rapidly. New environmental legislation, ongoing development pressure, and emerging land use opportunities mean landowners and farmers are facing more complex decisions than ever before. Making informed choices now is essential to safeguarding your land and protecting its long-term value.

A rural land agent in Kent plays a key role in helping landowners plan ahead. While the profession once focused mainly on farming and estate matters, it now brings together land management, planning, and environmental expertise to meet today’s challenges.

At Collington Winter, we support landowners throughout Kent by helping them adapt to change and unlock the full potential of their land.

A land agent’s role will depend on your objectives, but typically includes:

• Land valuation and sales – Valuing farms, estates, and rural property, managing sales and acquisitions, and negotiating on your behalf.
• Planning advice – Assisting with planning applications and identifying development opportunities.
• Environmental advice – Advising on environmental schemes, grants, subsidies, and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
• Compliance support – Ensuring your land meets legal, planning, and environmental requirements.
• Estate management – Providing long-term strategic advice to protect and enhance the value of your estate.

As professional land agents, we provide trusted, practical advice to help you make confident decisions about your land.

Biodiversity net gain is now a legal requirement under the Environment Act 2021, with most major developments needing to deliver at least a 10% increase in biodiversity.

Where this cannot be achieved on-site, developers must secure biodiversity units elsewhere. This has created a new and potentially valuable income opportunity for landowners across Kent.

Landowners can generate biodiversity units by creating or enhancing habitats, planting native species, restoring grassland, or managing woodland. These improvements are measured using DEFRA’s biodiversity metric and recorded on the national BNG Register, ensuring transparency and long-term commitment.

A habitat bank is an area of land – often lower-grade agricultural land – managed to enhance biodiversity for a minimum of 30 years. The biodiversity units created can then be sold to developers to meet their BNG obligations.

You retain ownership of your land, while a habitat bank can provide a reliable income stream and support sustainable land management alongside farming or other estate activities.

BNG can be complex, particularly for landowners new to environmental schemes. Professional advice helps ensure projects are practical, compliant, and financially worthwhile over the long term.

At Collington Winter, we support landowners by:

• Assessing whether land is suitable for BNG
• Estimating potential biodiversity unit generation
• Calculating long-term income potential
• Structuring and negotiating agreements with developers
• Ensuring schemes meet DEFRA and planning authority requirements

With the right guidance, your land can deliver meaningful environmental gains alongside stable financial returns.

Our experienced land agents work with landowners and developers across Kent and the Southeast. We combine strong local knowledge with hands-on expertise in rural land management and biodiversity net gain, enabling us to provide clear, practical advice at every stage.

Whether you are considering new environmental opportunities, responding to development pressures, or planning for the long-term future of your land, we take the time to understand your objectives and deliver solutions that are both commercially and environmentally responsible.

To speak with a land agent in Kent, contact Collington Winter Environmental at info@collingtonwinter.co.uk or call 01204 939 608.