Land Agent in Surrey: Understanding Biodiversity Net Gain

Surrey offers a distinctive mix of countryside, private estates, and land with genuine development potential. Its location and strong property market mean demand for land remains high. At the same time, planning policy and environmental requirements continue to change, and for many landowners this can make decisions feel more complicated than they need to be.

This is where experienced land agents make a real difference. By providing clear, practical advice, land agents help landowners understand their options and move forward with confidence. While the role once focused largely on farming and estate management, land agents in Surrey now also advise on development land, planning strategy and environmental opportunities that can add long-term value.

Biodiversity Net Gain is one of the most important recent changes affecting how land is used and managed in Surrey. Introduced under the Environment Act 2021, the policy requires most major developments to deliver at least a 10% increase in biodiversity compared with the condition of the site before development takes place.

In many cases, achieving this uplift entirely within a development boundary is not possible. When that happens, developers must secure offsite BNG. This has created a valuable opportunity for Surrey landowners who can enhance or restore land for wildlife and generate biodiversity units for sale.

Land suitable for BNG can take many forms, from lower-grade agricultural land to grassland, woodland edges or areas capable of habitat creation. Once established, BNG sites can be registered on the BNG Market Register, providing a transparent and regulated framework for the sale of biodiversity units. With the right advice in place, BNG can deliver both meaningful environmental benefits and a reliable, long-term income stream.

Every landowner and every site is different, which means the role of a land agent naturally varies. At its core, however, land agency is about helping landowners make informed decisions about how their land is managed, used or developed.

Alongside more traditional advice on valuation, development strategy and the buying and selling of land, land agents now play a growing role in environmental and ecological matters. For many Surrey landowners, understanding how policy changes such as BNG affect their land is just as important as understanding its market value.

Surrey continues to attract interest from developers looking for both short-term and longer-term opportunities. Land agents help landowners understand whether their land may be suitable for development and, just as importantly, when it might be right to consider it.

This includes providing realistic advice on timing, value and risk, based on local market knowledge and planning context. By managing discussions with developers and estate agents, land agents help ensure landowners are not rushed into decisions or encouraged to sell before the full potential of their land is understood.

BNG is an area where land agents can provide particularly valuable support. Land agents help landowners explore whether BNG could form part of a long-term land strategy and whether their land is suitable for habitat creation.

Working closely with ecologists, planners, and developers, land agents guide clients through the BNG process from early feasibility through to delivery. This includes identifying suitable land, coordinating ecological surveys, advising on biodiversity unit potential and supporting negotiations with developers.

By keeping communication clear and managing the process as a whole, land agents help BNG projects progress smoothly and with confidence.

Collington Winter Environmental supports landowners, developers, and investors across Surrey with a strong focus on ecology-led land use and Biodiversity Net Gain. Our land agents provide clear, practical advice on development land, estate management and the creation of new environmental income streams.

We offer a professional service built on strong relationships, local understanding and open communication. Our clients value our thoughtful, ecologically focused approach and the high standard of service we deliver.

Whether you are considering BNG for the first time, reviewing development potential or planning for the future of your land, our team is here to guide you through every stage of the process.

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