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‘Biodiversity’ is the variety and breadth of all plant and animal life on earth, and differs from one habitat to another. This is important to note, because when we are looking at net gain, we need to make sure that the gain is taking place evenly, so that all habitats can thrive and grow in a balanced way.
Biodiversity Net Gain (or BNG as it is commonly referred to) is the planning regulation that any new development must, after completion, be more biodiverse than it was before. In the UK, the legal requirement is for this increase to be 10% or more – so that all sites leave the habitat in 10% better condition than it was before the development commenced.
The Environment Agency recognises that ‘due to centuries of industrialisation and extraction of natural resources, England is now one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world’, and as such BNG is an important part of taking steps to address this and help nature recovery.
An increase in plant life is part of a nature-based solution to climate change, by which carbon dioxide is absorbed and stored by plants and soil. This is a part of the pathway to the UK reaching net zero.
Why does this matter for blue light services?
BNG regulations came into effect in April 2024, and therefore, it’s really important that professionals across the Blue Light Services are aware of what this means, and what the implications are for them.
If you are planning on any new construction, then you must factor in BNG right from the start in order to make delivering 10% BNG as easy as possible. So whether you are planning to build a new station building, depot for fleet, training facility, or otherwise, these regulations now apply to you.
And on top of complying with the legal regulations, you can feel proud that you are contributing to the development and recovery of the country’s natural ecosystems as part of your work.
How BNG works in practice
The first thing a developer needs to do on your behalf is to factor in BNG in their landscape planning at the very start, and it’s important to check that they have done this. If you don’t know how to do this, CCS can offer advice. It is important for any net gain plan to be considered from the start so that it can be part of a holistic development plan and ideally, conduct the 10% net gain on the site of the development itself.
A baseline needs to be established by a qualified ecologist to assess the state and type of habitat that is being built upon, so that it is possible to mathematically improve on this baseline by 10% by the end of the development. This is calculated using a Biodiversity Metric, developed by government, that considers a range of factors such as the habitat’s size, condition, strategic significance, and type.
Once the baseline has been conducted, there is a cascade of preference in terms of where the biodiversity improvements will be conducted. The first preference will always be for the biodiversity to be created on-site, within the boundary of a development – and this is why the landscape planning up front is important.
If developers cannot achieve all of their BNG on-site, they can deliver through a mixture of on-site and off-site creation. Off-site biodiversity gains can be made on developer’s land outside the development site, and this is ideal and needs to take place as close to the development as possible, taking into account the habitat that has been built upon.
If this is not possible, remaining biodiversity improvements can be achieved by buying off-site biodiversity units. This process is achieved through purchasing a unit of biodiversity net gain conducted elsewhere, and is done through a habitat bank. Developers can search through a website known as a gain site. If developers cannot achieve on-site or off-site BNG, they must buy statutory biodiversity credits from the government. This should be a last resort.
Examples of how BNG has been done well
Public sector partners have done incredible things in BNG. One successful case study I have visited in Surrey allocated whole fields to BNG as part of a large development. Walking around those fields, you will see oak trees already growing without being planted (natural colonisation) after a couple of years, and an abundance of bees, wild flowers, butterflies and birds. Working with a plan from the start helped this process to be a success, and through communicating with the local community and working alongside local farmers, the site has been a huge success.
Of course, the scale of the biodiversity gain will be dependent on the size of your development, and some will be smaller scale. The important thing to remember is that, other than complying with the law, everything is making a difference to the natural environment. And as part of a nature based solution to climate change, there is a benefit to all of us.
Who to go to for help?
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) have set up a BNG facility to help anyone across the public sector with their BNG procurement. We are happy to help by offering free advice as a critical friend, or act as your procurement body helping you to access the services that you will need to deliver BNG in your development.
To read similar articles, check out our Sustainability channel.
Join us for an in-depth discussion on how blue light services can meet biodiversity and net-zero targets, covering essential legal changes and environmental opportunities. Featuring insights from Catherine Levin (Emergency Services Times), John Hales (Crown Commercial Service), Alexis Percival (Yorkshire Ambulance Service), and Becci Hodson (Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary).
Date: 28 November
Time: 14:00
Don’t miss this chance to learn how biodiversity considerations can transform your service’s green credentials and impact the environment for us all. Register here.
