Sarah Boswell, is the Trust’s Senior Nature-Based Solutions Officer. Her role involves identifying potential biodiversity net gain opportunities and working out how we can do more for wildlife by applying the principles of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) to new land the Trust has acquired, with habitat restoration and creation in mind. In this article, Sarah explains the principles of BNG and what it could mean for wildlife in Hampshire and the Isle Wight.
Background to Biodiversity Net Gain
In 2018, the Government published a 25year Environment Plan for the natural environment, to make sure that we ‘‘leave our environment in a better state than we found it.’’
Biodiversity Net Gain is part of the governments solution to achieve this, supporting the mitigation hierarchy (to firstly avoid, minimise, restore and lastly offset impacts). It is ‘‘an approach to development, and/or land management, that leaves nature in a measurably better state than beforehand’’. BNG does not supersede the need to compensate and mitigate for impacts associated with planning applications, for instance, mitigation for impacts on protected species’.
In 2019, the government announced that it would make BNG mandatory for development, as outlined in the Environment Bill. BNG is expected to become law in November 2023, in England only, by amending the Town & Country Planning Act.
How is it calculated?
BNG uses a metric, which will enable us to ‘measure’ the state of the environment, which is different to how the impacts of development were previously assessed and mitigated.
BNG uses a DEFRA metric to assess the pre- development and post- development habitats against several criteria such as size, distinctiveness (high or low value habitat), condition, and strategic importance. Post- development habitats also need to be assessed by the above criteria, but also by difficulty level of creation, and how long it takes to create. The scores translate into units, which then provide an overall biodiversity unit score for the site. In England, there should be a net gain for biodiversity of at least 10% and gains must be maintained for a minimum of 30 years. Conservation covenants and planning obligations such as section 106 agreements will secure the management of these sites for this period. Habitats can’t be traded down, habitats created should be of the same quality or of higher quality than the habitat lost though development. Where possible these gains should be achieved on site, but if this is not possible, off site mitigation should be sought as close to the development as possible.
How should it be applied?
It’s important that we use this opportunity to target biodiversity gains strategically as informed by the Nature Recovery Network (NRN). Thought should be given to BNG as early as possible when planning projects.
Through our consultancy, Arcadian, we can conduct BNG surveys and calculations to provide onsite solutions for developments within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Are we ready?
We are also positioning ourselves ready to provide off site offsetting solutions for BNG, where on site solutions are not possible. As an organisation, we have the expertise, and local knowledge to provide targeted biodiversity offsetting that will really make a difference to local wildlife and support the Nature Recovery networks.
Biodiversity net gain is becoming mandatory next year, and we need it to work to achieve the best possible outcome for wildlife and the environment. We need to make the most of this opportunity to use this mechanism to secure the maximum biodiversity gains in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.