Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments
Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments
Further to our previous article regarding Biodiversity Net Gain, on the 18th January 2024 it was announced that Biodiversity net gain assessments will be required from the 12th February 2024 (major developments) and from April 2nd 2024 (small developments). From these dates onwards, Biodiversity net gain assessments will be mandatory for new planning applications submitted for both major and small developments.
As defined by the Land Use Policy team, major developments include:
– Residential developments that include 10 or more dwellings.
– Developments where the site area is greater than 0.5 hectares.
Whereas smaller development projects will be subject to the mandatory Biodiversity net gain requirements from the 2nd April 2024.
A small site development has been defined as:
– Residential developments consisting of 1 – 9 dwellings.
– Residential developments where the site area if less than 0.5 hectares.
– Commercial developments where the floor space that is being created is less than 1000
square metres.
– Commercial developments where the total site area is less than 1 hectare.
Biodiversity Net Gain will be required for nearly all new applications for planning permission, however there are some exclusions.
These exclusions include:
– Requests for retrospective planning permission.
– Planning applications submitted prior to the 12th February 2024.
– Any applications to vary a planning condition on planning permission granted before the 12th February.
– Development works that do not impact a priority habitat and impacts less than 25 square metres of non-priority habitat. Alternatively, the development works should not impact more than 5 metres of non-priority linear habitat.
– The development of an existing property, except to change its use or change the number of dwellings within the property.
– Small scale self-build projects that consist of no more than 9 dwellings, are carried out on a site which is no larger than 0.5 hectares and consist exclusively of dwellings that are self-built.
– Development upon biodiversity gain sites, which are designed solely to enhance the biodiversity on behalf of other development sites, or provide access to the public for educational or recreational purposes without charging a fee.
– Development which is part of or ancillary to the High-Speed Transport Network.
Contact Us for Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments:
If you are a Developer or require a Biodiversity Net Gain assessment to accompany your planning application, ProHort can help! Get in touch with us now to discuss how we can help you and arrange your assessment.
Alternatively, you can find out more about the services we offer here.
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