Land Agent in Peterborough: Understanding Biodiversity Net Gain

Rural land management across Peterborough and the surrounding areas is evolving at pace. New environmental legislation, continued development pressure, and emerging land-use opportunities mean landowners and farmers are facing more complex decisions than ever before. Making the right choices now is essential to protecting your land, safeguarding future income, and preserving long-term value.

A rural land agent in Peterborough can help you navigate this changing landscape. While the role once focused primarily on land transactions, modern rural land management now encompasses planning strategy, environmental schemes, and development opportunities. With the right professional support, your land can continue to deliver value both now and for future generations.

At Collington Winter, we work closely with landowners across Peterborough and the wider region, providing practical, commercially focused advice to help you adapt and maximise the potential of your land.

A land agent provides strategic guidance alongside hands-on support, tailored to your individual objectives. This typically includes:

• Land valuation and sales – Valuing farms, estates, and rural property, managing acquisitions or disposals, and negotiating on your behalf.
• Planning advice – Identifying development potential, supporting planning applications, and advising on long-term land strategy.
• Environmental advice – Guidance on environmental schemes, grants, subsidies, and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
• Compliance support – Ensuring land meets legal, planning, and environmental requirements.
• Estate management – Long-term planning to protect, enhance, and grow estate value.

Our approach combines clear communication with in-depth knowledge, enabling you to make informed 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.

Where this cannot be achieved on-site, developers are required to purchase biodiversity units from alternative locations. This presents a new income opportunity for landowners across Peterborough, while also delivering measurable environmental improvements.

Biodiversity units are generated through habitat enhancement, such as restoring grassland, planting native hedgerows, improving wetlands, or managing woodland. These improvements are assessed using DEFRA’s biodiversity metric and recorded on the national BNG register.

A habitat bank is an area of land managed specifically to deliver biodiversity enhancements over a minimum 30-year period. This is often lower-grade or less productive farmland.

Landowners retain ownership of their land while selling the biodiversity units created to developers. Habitat banks can offer a reliable, long-term income stream and support more sustainable land use, either alongside existing farming operations or as part of a wider estate strategy.

BNG projects can be complex, particularly for landowners new to environmental schemes. Professional advice helps ensure opportunities are viable, compliant, and financially sound.

At Collington Winter, we can support you by:

• Assessing whether your land is suitable for BNG
• Estimating potential biodiversity unit generation
• Reviewing long-term income potential
• Negotiating agreements with developers
• Ensuring compliance with DEFRA guidance and local planning authority requirements

With the right advice, your land can deliver meaningful environmental benefits alongside sustainable financial returns.

Our land agents work with landowners and developers across Peterborough and the surrounding areas, offering practical experience in rural land management and BNG. Whether you are exploring environmental opportunities, responding to development pressure, or planning for the long term, we provide clear, tailored advice to help you move forward with confidence.

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