Planning a development in London? ProHort provides Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment and Biodiversity Gain Plan services to help developers understand existing habitat value, calculate biodiversity changes and plan how their projects will deliver measurable biodiversity improvements. From urban brownfield sites and residential regeneration to larger commercial developments, we can support the BNG process using the applicable statutory biodiversity metric and the information required for your project.
Calls answered in 2 rings, emails replied to within the hour.
Clear guidance before you commit.
Working in partnership with clients to ensure planning approval first time
Industry Leading Standard
We stay with you from first call through to submission.Â
Planning permission and approval of the Biodiversity Gain Plan are separate stages.
Where the statutory BNG condition applies, a developer cannot begin the development until the relevant planning authority has approved the Biodiversity Gain Plan. The plan can be submitted after planning permission has been granted and must demonstrate how the biodiversity gain objective will be achieved.
This makes London BNG condition discharge an important consideration when coordinating planning, design and construction programmes.
For urban schemes, the plan may need to bring together information from several parts of the design team. For example, the landscape proposals, architectural drawings, drainage strategy and biodiversity metric should describe a consistent development layout and habitat delivery approach.
For phased developments, the statutory process may also require an overall Biodiversity Gain Plan and separate phase plans before the relevant phases can commence.
We support schemes across Greater London, working in inner and outer boroughs as well as adjoining neighbourhoods.
Â
A Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment in London establishes the biodiversity value of a site before development and assesses how the proposed works are expected to affect its habitats.
Where the statutory BNG framework applies, most developments must achieve at least 10% biodiversity net gain. A BNG assessment for development in London helps establish the existing habitat baseline, calculate the potential biodiversity impact and identify opportunities to achieve the required uplift.
London’s development landscape presents a range of ecological considerations. A previously developed site in an inner borough may contain valuable open mosaic habitat, while an outer-London site could include grassland, woodland, hedgerows, ponds or connections to a river corridor. These features need to be assessed on their actual ecological characteristics rather than assumptions based on the site’s urban setting.Â
A biodiversity metric assessment will typically consider:
Habitat identification and mapping: identifying and mapping the habitats within the site boundary, including relevant urban and semi-natural habitats.
Habitat condition and distinctiveness: assessing the characteristics and condition of each habitat using the relevant metric criteria.
Baseline biodiversity calculations: calculating the site’s existing biodiversity value using the applicable statutory biodiversity metric.
Development impact assessment: modelling how the proposed layout and habitat changes may affect biodiversity units.
Retention and enhancement opportunities: identifying habitats and features that could be retained, improved or incorporated into the landscape design.
Biodiversity gain recommendations: considering appropriate on-site habitat creation and enhancement, alongside off-site options where required.
The resulting biodiversity net gain report in London provides an evidence base for the development’s BNG approach. It can help inform site design and planning discussions before the project reaches the later Biodiversity Gain Plan stage.
London has an additional planning consideration that developers should understand: the Urban Greening Factor (UGF).
London Plan Policy G5 uses the Urban Greening Factor to assess the quantity and quality of urban greening within major development proposals. It encourages green infrastructure to be incorporated into the design of buildings and spaces.
However, the UGF and statutory Biodiversity Net Gain are separate requirements. A development meeting its UGF target does not automatically demonstrate that it has achieved the required biodiversity gain. Equally, a compliant BNG calculation does not automatically demonstrate compliance with the UGF.
Both should be considered early in the design process where relevant. This is particularly important for high-density developments where green roofs, planting areas, sustainable drainage and other greening features may form part of the wider landscape strategy.Â
A Biodiversity Gain Plan in London explains how a development will achieve the biodiversity gain required under the statutory framework.
It is a separate stage from the initial BNG assessment. The assessment establishes the habitat baseline and calculates the expected biodiversity changes; the Gain Plan sets out how the required gain will be delivered for the permitted development.
Where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies, the plan must be submitted to and approved by the relevant planning authority before development begins. This makes the document an important part of the planning and pre-commencement process.
For developers seeking a Biodiversity Gain Plan consultant in London, the plan needs to bring together the relevant metric calculations, habitat proposals, plans and delivery arrangements in a clear and consistent submission.
The precise information will depend on the development and its biodiversity strategy. A plan will typically address:
Development and biodiversity information: details of the permitted development and the approach being taken to achieve the biodiversity gain objective.
Completed biodiversity metric: the relevant statutory metric calculation supporting the proposed biodiversity outcomes.
Habitat plans: appropriately scaled plans showing the existing and proposed on-site habitats and their locations.
Habitat creation and enhancement: details of the habitats that will be retained, created or enhanced and how they contribute to the required gain.
On-site and off-site provision: details of the proposed approach, including registered off-site biodiversity units where these are required.
Habitat management and monitoring: arrangements for maintaining and monitoring significant on-site habitat enhancements where applicable.
Legal securing arrangements: relevant planning obligations or conservation covenants where these are required to secure habitat delivery.Â
The plan must be consistent with the approved development and supporting biodiversity information. Proposed habitats should be realistic for the site and supported by suitable management and long-term securing arrangements.Â
London’s first Local Nature Recovery Strategy was published in March 2026. Developed with input from all 33 London boroughs, including the City of London, it identifies biodiversity priorities and opportunities to improve and connect habitats across Greater London.
The strategy provides useful local context when considering habitat retention, creation and enhancement. It does not replace the statutory biodiversity metric or introduce a new BNG percentage requirement.
London’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy identifies open mosaic habitats on previously developed land as a priority for restoration, expansion, creation and connectivity.
These habitats can contain bare ground, grassland, flowering plants and scrub. They are particularly relevant to some urban and former industrial sites, where areas of apparently unmanaged vegetation may support important wildlife.
Where these habitats are present, their condition and ecological characteristics should be considered carefully as part of the baseline assessment.
London supports several types of important grassland habitat. Chalk grassland is particularly associated with parts of south London, including areas around Croydon, Bromley and Sutton. Acid grassland is also a notable feature of the capital, including areas around Richmond.
Lowland meadows and other species-rich grasslands provide further opportunities for habitat retention and enhancement. The suitability of any proposed grassland creation will depend on the site’s soils, conditions and ecological context.
The River Thames and its tributaries form a significant part of London’s ecological network. Watercourses including the Lea, Wandle, Ravensbourne, Roding, Brent, Crane and Colne are relevant to the capital’s wider river and wetland landscape.
Coastal and floodplain grazing marsh, reedbeds, fen, marsh and swamp habitats are also identified as priorities for nature recovery. Development near waterways or wetland areas should take account of existing habitat features and opportunities to improve ecological connections.
London’s parks, woodland areas, communal green spaces and smaller urban habitats can help connect wildlife populations across the city.
Ancient woodland, wet woodland, trees, hedgerows and other green infrastructure may be important features of a site’s ecological context. Retaining suitable existing features and improving connections between habitats can help align development proposals with London’s wider nature recovery priorities.
Whether you need an initial Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment or a Biodiversity Gain Plan to support condition discharge, ProHort can help you understand the ecological information and next steps for your development.
Contact our team to discuss your site, proposed works and BNG requirements.Â
No. The statutory BNG framework applies to most planning permissions in England, but exemptions and transitional provisions exist. Whether a London development is subject to the biodiversity gain condition depends on the type of development and its planning circumstances. The statutory requirements should be checked for the individual proposal.Â
No. The Urban Greening Factor is a London Plan planning tool used to assess urban greening in relevant developments, while statutory BNG measures changes in biodiversity value using the applicable biodiversity metric. They are separate requirements, so meeting one does not automatically demonstrate compliance with the other.Â
Yes. Some previously developed sites support open mosaic habitats, which can include bare ground, grassland, flowering plants and scrub. These habitats may support important invertebrates and are recognised as a London nature recovery priority. A site should therefore be assessed on its actual ecological characteristics rather than assumed to have low biodiversity value because it has previously been developed.
They may contribute where the proposed habitat meets the relevant statutory biodiversity metric criteria. The habitat type, area, condition and other applicable metric requirements need to be considered. A landscaped roof or podium does not automatically generate biodiversity units simply because planting is included in the design.Â
The London Local Nature Recovery Strategy identifies local biodiversity priorities and areas where habitat recovery could make a contribution. It can help inform suitable habitat enhancement proposals and the wider ecological context of a development. However, it does not replace the statutory metric or automatically determine whether an individual development has achieved its biodiversity gain objective.
In most cases, the relevant planning authority is the local planning authority that granted the planning permission. This will usually be the relevant London borough council or the City of London Corporation, depending on the site’s location and planning circumstances. The planning decision and its accompanying biodiversity gain information should identify the authority responsible for determining the plan.
