Land Agent in Doncaster: Understanding Biodiversity Net Gain

Rural land management across Doncaster is evolving at pace. New environmental legislation, continued development pressure, and new land use opportunities mean landowners and farmers face more complex decisions than ever. Making the right choices now is key to protecting your land and keeping its value in the long term.

A rural land agent can help landowners plan for the future. While the role used to focus mainly on farming and estates, it now combines land management, planning, and environmental expertise.

At Collington Winter, we help landowners across Doncaster and South Yorkshire respond to change and make the most of their land.

A land agent’s work depends on your goals, but usually includes:

• Land valuation and sales – Valuing farms, estates, and rural property, managing sales and purchases, and negotiating on your behalf.
• Planning advice – Supporting planning applications and helping identify development opportunities
• Environmental advice – Helping with environmental schemes, grants, subsidies, and  Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
• Compliance support – Making sure your land meets legal, planning, and environmental rules.
• Estate management – Giving long-term advice to protect and improve your estate’s value.

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

Biodiversity net gain is now a legal requirement under the Environment Act 2021. Most major developments must deliver at least a 10% increase in biodiversity.

If developers cannot do this on their own site, they must buy biodiversity units elsewhere. This creates a new income opportunity for landowners in Doncaster and South Yorkshire.

Landowners can generate biodiversity units by creating or improving habitats, planting native species, restoring grassland, or managing woodlands. These are measured using DEFRA’s biodiversity metric and recorded on the national BNG Register, keeping schemes transparent and long-term.

A habitat bank is land – often lower-grade farmland – managed to improve biodiversity for at least 30 years. The resulting biodiversity units can be sold to developers to meet their BNG requirements.

You still own your own land. A habitat bank provides a steady income while letting you manage your land sustainably alongside farming or other estate activities.

BNG can be complicated, especially if you’re new to environmental schemes. Professional guidance ensures your plans are viable, compliant, and valuable long-term.

At Collington Winter, we help landowners by:

• Checking if land is suitable for BNG
• Estimating how many biodiversity units can be generated
• Calculating potential long-term income
• Setting up and negotiating agreements with developers
• Making sure schemes meet DEFRA and planning standards

With the right support, your land can deliver both environmental benefits and steady financial returns.

Our experienced land agents work with landowners and developers across Doncaster and the wider region. We combine strong local knowledge with practical expertise in rural land management and biodiversity net gain, allowing us to give clear, straightforward advice at every stage.

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

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