Biodiversity Net Gain Hertfordshire: Understanding BNG

With the intention of protecting the natural environment and encouraging nature recovery during and after development, Hertfordshire County Council requires a minimum net gain of 10%, detailed in a biodiversity gain plan. Planning projects must also deliver biodiversity net gain that is sustained for at least 30 years. If BNG is not possible at the location of development, developers must offset biodiversity elsewhere by purchasing off-site biodiversity credits.

The Planning Practice Guidance for Biodiversity Net Gain for England can be found on the GOV.UK website.

An increase in biodiversity is required for developments of all sizes. For larger projects, this applies to residential projects that host 10 or more dwellings or sites that span more than 0.5 hectares.

Furthermore, BNG covers minor developments such as residential developments with 1 to 9 dwellings or sites smaller than 0.5 hectares, as well as commercial developments where the floor space created is under 1000 square metres, or the site area is less than 1 hectare.

There are 10 vital good practice principles of biodiversity net gain that can help a project achieve the BNG requirement. Outlined below are the mandatory net gain principles:

• Utilise the mitigation hierarchy to minimise the impact on biodiversity
• Eliminate any negative impacts of development on biodiversity
• Communicate each BNG outcome with complete transparency
• Cover all areas of sustainability, including societal and economic factors
• Involve any pre-development stakeholders in creating mandatory BNG solutions. Those involved post-development should also be included in BNG solutions.
• Focus on producing lasting natural benefits for biodiversity to leave a site and local wildlife in an improved state
• Understand the variable factors and potential risks in order to deliver BNG
• Attempt to exceed the base level requirement for biodiversity gains where possible
• Determine a suitable method in order to secure measurable on-site BNG gains
• Ensure the best possible results from biodiversity net gain

If you are uncertain how biodiversity net gain (BNG) might affect your planning application, it is important to contact your local planning authority or consult an experienced ecologist early on, especially if your development could be significantly impacted.

Our ecological consultants can carry out a habitat classification using the Statutory Biodiversity Metric (formerly Defra Metric 4.0). We will then incorporate the results into a tailored habitat management and monitoring plan, which can help to achieve the required BNG standards.

Collington Winter Environmental’s ecologists hold Natural England licences and work with a number of clients across England and Wales, including those in Hertfordshire. For development projects, we can provide policy guidance, project recommendations, and clarification on the principles of BNG. Our experts have considerable experience in putting together a biodiversity gain plan to meet the needs of the Hertfordshire County Councils.

To learn more about Collington Winter’s approach to biodiversity net gain, Hertfordshire, don’t hesitate to speak to a member of our team at info@collingtonwinter.co.uk, or by using the contact form below.