Consultation on Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations and Implementation

2nd April 2022 Web Master

The Government are holding a consultation on Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations and Implementation, that ends on 5th April 2022. TCAG have responded to the consultation.

That all sounds rather technical and intimidating doesn’t it!? What exactly does it mean?

Well the new Environment Act which should become mandatory in Nov 2023 aims to make sure new developments better protect and enhance wildlife and nature, will create better places for people to live and work, and ensure we leave our environment in a better state for future generations.

The key points for mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) are:

Minimum 10% BNG is required – calculated using the current Biodiversity Metric and approval of net gain plan
Habitat improvements should be secured for at least 30 years via obligations/ conservation covenant
Improvements or enhancements to habitat can be delivered on-site, off-site or via statutory biodiversity credits
There will be a national register for net gain delivery sites
BNG will also apply to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs)
BNG does not apply to marine development
BNG does not change existing legal environmental and wildlife protections

It’s worth bearing in mind that Biodiversity Net Gain should be in addition to, and not instead of considering and acting to avoid, mitigate, or compensate for biodiversity loss.

More about the consultation

The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs want to know what we think about how biodiversity net gain will work in practice. The consultation covers how this is applied to Town and Country Planning Act development, and, at a higher level, Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects, they’re the big projects like the proposed LTC.

You can take part either by completing the online response form or by emailing netgainconsultation@defra.gov.uk

TCAG response

Response to Consultation on Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations and Implementation

You can scroll through using the arrows

If you are having any issues with viewing our response above it can also be downloaded as a pdf file here.

Our response was submitted on 2nd April 2022.

Thanks to Community Planning Alliance for their great BNG Resources section and other info on their website, a helpful reference source on what can be a complex topic!

Consultation on Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations and Implementation – click here

LTC impacts on wildlife – click here

LTC impacts on badgers – click here

LTC impacts on water voles – click here

LTC impacts on woodlands (including Ancient woodlands) – click here

LTC impacts on The Wilderness – click here

Hole Farm Community Woodland (not part of the LTC project) – click here

Community Planning Alliance – Biodiversity Net Gain Resources

TCAG correspondence and representations – click here