Biodiversity Net Gain Greater Manchester: Understanding BNG

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a policy in the UK aimed at ensuring that new developments have a positive impact on biodiversity. The main aims of delivering Biodiversity Net Gain in the UK are:

• Enhancing biodiversity: BNG aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was before a development takes place . This is achieved by ensuring that the biodiversity value of a site after development is higher than it was before. In cases where a development affects biodiversity, developers must ensure the provision of additional suitable natural habitats and ecological features, surpassing the impacted area by at least 10% compared to the initial baseline.
• No net loss: BNG aims to ensure that there is no net loss of biodiversity as a result of development activities. This means that any loss of biodiversity due to construction or other development activities should be compensated for elsewhere.
• Improving ecosystem services: BNG seeks to enhance the provision of ecosystem services, such as pollination, water purification, and climate regulation, which are crucial for human well-being.
• Habitat creation and restoration: BNG encourages the creation and restoration of habitats, including wetlands, woodlands, grasslands, and other ecosystems that support a diverse range of species.
• Connectivity and green infrastructure: BNG promotes the creation of green corridors and connectivity between habitats, allowing wildlife to move freely and ensuring genetic diversity within populations.
• Sustainable development: Biodiversity Net Gain aims to integrate biodiversity conservation with economic development. It emphasises the importance of sustainable land use planning and construction practices.
• Adaptive management: BNG promotes the concept of adaptive management, which involves monitoring the biodiversity outcomes of a development and making adjustments as needed to achieve the desired net gain.
• Compliance with legal requirements: BNG aligns with existing legal requirements related to biodiversity conservation in the UK, including the Wildlife and Countryside Act and the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations. The Environment Act 2021 will make BNG a legal planning requirement from November 2023.
• Public engagement and education: It encourages public engagement and education about biodiversity conservation, helping to raise awareness and foster a culture of environmental stewardship.
• Long-term Sustainability: BNG aims for the long-term sustainability of biodiversity gains, ensuring that they are maintained and managed effectively over time.

There are ten crucial good practice principles of biodiversity net gain. These should help to achieve BNG if they are followed accordingly. The mandatory biodiversity net gain principles include the following:

• Utilise the mitigation hierarchy to minimise the impact on biodiversity
• Eliminate any negative impacts on biodiversity
• Communicate each BNG outcome with complete transparency
• Cover all areas of sustainability, including societal and economic factors
• Involve any pre-development and post-development stakeholders in creating mandatory net gain solutions
• Focus on producing long-term natural environment benefits from BNG. This will ensure a development leaves biodiversity in a better state than it was before
• Understand the variable factors and potential risks in order to achieve biodiversity and deliver net gain
• Offer nature conservation that exceeds the stated BNG requirements
• Determine a suitable method in order to secure measurable biodiversity net gains
• Ensure the best possible results from biodiversity net gain

Collington Winter Environmental are experts in BNG planning and have helped numerous Greater Manchester based clients over the years. It is important to note that this varies across each local planning authority in the country. Completing net gain for biodiversity through development is something that we are qualified and experienced in.

If you would like more specific information on biodiversity net gain requirements in Greater Manchester, the the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) website has all the details you may need.

We assist all types of developers in achieving BNG to ensure planning permission granted in England. Our Ecology Director, Olivia Collington, holds a Natural England license. If you would like to find out more about biodiversity net gain, Greater Manchester, feel free to contact us using the details below.