Planning a development in Buckinghamshire? Understanding the habitats on your site and how your proposals may affect them is an important part of the planning process. ProHort supports developers, landowners and project teams with Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments in Buckinghamshire, biodiversity metric calculations and Biodiversity Gain Plans.
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The Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Local Nature Recovery Strategy provides a shared framework for identifying opportunities to restore and improve nature across the wider area. Its priorities include strengthening connections between natural areas, improving soil quality, restoring rivers and floodplains, increasing wetlands and ponds, improving water quality and supporting biodiversity in built-up areas.
The strategy’s Local Habitat Map can help provide context when considering where habitat creation or enhancement could contribute to wider nature recovery.
Buckinghamshire Council specifically advises that the mapped LNRS measures should inform the use of the strategic significance multiplier within the biodiversity metric. This makes the local mapping particularly relevant when considering the strategic significance of proposed habitat interventions.
However, the LNRS does not replace a site-specific habitat survey or the statutory biodiversity metric. Its mapped priorities should be considered alongside the actual habitats present, the proposed development and the applicable metric rules.
The strategy covers Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes together. Milton Keynes has a separate local planning authority, so applicants should check the relevant planning guidance and requirements for the location of their development.
We work across Buckinghamshire, assisting developments in Aylesbury, High Wycombe, Milton Keynes and surrounding areas.
A Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment establishes the biodiversity value of a site before development and considers how the proposed works could change its habitats. Using habitat survey information and the applicable statutory biodiversity metric, it calculates the site’s pre-development biodiversity value and helps identify opportunities to deliver measurable biodiversity improvements.
A BNG assessment in Buckinghamshire can help identify ecological constraints and opportunities while a development is still being designed. This is particularly important where proposals involve chalk grassland, established woodland, hedgerows, watercourses or other habitats that contribute to the county’s ecological network.
Depending on the site and the information available, a biodiversity net gain assessment may involve:
Reviewing existing ecological information, site plans and relevant survey reports.
Identifying and mapping habitats within the development boundary.
Assessing habitat condition using the relevant metric criteria.
Recording the biodiversity value of onsite habitats.
Calculating the pre-development biodiversity value using the applicable statutory biodiversity metric.
Considering how the proposed layout may affect existing habitats.
Identifying opportunities to retain, enhance or create habitats as part of the development design.
The findings can be presented in a biodiversity net gain report for Buckinghamshire, giving the project team a clearer understanding of the site’s baseline biodiversity value and the implications for the proposed development.Â
Buckinghamshire contains a varied landscape, from the chalk hills and wooded valleys of the Chilterns to the flatter agricultural landscapes of the Vale of Aylesbury. River corridors, historic parkland, hedgerows, grassland and areas of urban development add to this ecological diversity.
These different settings can present very different considerations during a site assessment. A proposal near the Chilterns may involve beech woodland, chalk grassland or a chalk stream, while a site in the Vale of Aylesbury may include pasture, field boundaries, drainage channels or wetland features.
Previously developed land should not automatically be assumed to have limited biodiversity value either. Disused land, brownfield sites, railway corridors and areas of scrub can support habitats that need to be identified and assessed.
A site-specific biodiversity metric assessment in Buckinghamshire should reflect the habitats actually present, their condition and the development proposals. The wider landscape provides useful context, but it cannot replace an assessment of the site itself.
The statutory BNG framework generally requires development to deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies. Exemptions and transitional provisions mean that the requirement does not apply to every development, so the position should be checked against the relevant application and permission details.
Buckinghamshire Council publishes local guidance on biodiversity net gain, including a Biodiversity Net Gain Supplementary Planning Document. Its guidance explains how applicants should consider biodiversity during the planning process, including the importance of onsite habitat opportunities and the circumstances in which offsite provision may need to be explored.
The council also advises applicants to consider BNG early in the project, using habitat surveys and condition assessments to inform the development design. Where rivers or hedgerows are present, these require specific survey and condition assessment methods.
Early planning biodiversity net gain support in Buckinghamshire can help identify potential habitat constraints, consider what can be retained and establish whether the proposed development may need additional biodiversity provision.
A Biodiversity Gain Plan is a separate stage from the initial BNG Assessment. While the assessment establishes the site’s existing biodiversity value and provides the baseline metric information, the Gain Plan explains how the development will meet the applicable biodiversity gain objective.
Where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies, the Biodiversity Gain Plan must be submitted to and approved by the relevant planning authority before development begins. It sets out how the required gain will be achieved through onsite habitat improvements, registered offsite biodiversity gains or statutory biodiversity credits where applicable.
ProHort can support the preparation of a Biodiversity Gain Plan in Buckinghamshire, helping project teams bring together the relevant metric calculations, habitat proposals and supporting information for submission.
The information required will depend on the development and the approach being used to achieve biodiversity net gain. A Gain Plan will generally need to explain:
The pre-development biodiversity value of onsite habitats.
The post-development biodiversity value of onsite habitats, where applicable.
How the biodiversity gain hierarchy has been applied.
Any registered offsite biodiversity gains being relied upon.
Any statutory biodiversity credits being used, where applicable.
How the development will meet the biodiversity gain objective.
Supporting metric calculations, habitat plans and relevant evidence.
Where significant onsite habitat enhancements or offsite gains are involved, the arrangements for securing, managing and monitoring those habitats are also important. Depending on the circumstances, this may involve a planning condition, Section 106 agreement or conservation covenant, alongside a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan.
A biodiversity gain plan consultant in Buckinghamshire should consider how the proposed habitat works, metric calculations and long-term management arrangements fit together. The information submitted needs to be consistent with the development proposals and applicable statutory requirements.
The Gain Plan is normally prepared and submitted after planning permission has been granted. It is not the same as the initial biodiversity information that may be required with the planning application.
Where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies, the developer must submit the plan to the relevant planning authority for approval before starting development. For most projects, this will be the authority that granted the planning permission.
Buckinghamshire Council’s BNG guidance places particular emphasis on considering onsite opportunities first. Where the required gain cannot be achieved onsite, applicants may need to explore suitable offsite provision, following the biodiversity gain hierarchy and relevant statutory rules. The council also highlights the need for offsite habitat management to be legally secured for at least 30 years.
The council’s local guidance also addresses matters that can affect habitat proposals, including soil nutrient status when creating or enhancing grassland and the potential implications of habitat works for archaeological remains. These considerations can be important when developing a realistic and deliverable biodiversity strategy.
ProHort can help prepare the biodiversity information and supporting documentation needed for a Biodiversity Gain Plan submission in Buckinghamshire, helping to present a clear and consistent approach for the planning authority to review.
Buckinghamshire has a varied ecological landscape, shaped by the Chilterns, agricultural valleys, river corridors, woodland and urban green spaces. These habitats provide important context when assessing development sites and identifying opportunities for biodiversity enhancement.
The Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) was approved for publication in October 2025. It identifies local biodiversity priorities and maps existing habitats and opportunities for nature recovery across the wider strategy area.
The Chilterns are a distinctive part of Buckinghamshire, characterised by rolling chalk hills, wooded valleys and species-rich grassland. Habitats include beech woodland, chalk grassland, veteran trees and heathland, alongside chalk streams such as the Rivers Chess and Misbourne.
For development near the Chilterns, existing woodland edges, grassland condition, watercourses and habitat connections may all be important considerations within a site-specific BNG assessment.
The Vale of Aylesbury has a predominantly agricultural character, with fields, hedgerows, grassland, trees and smaller watercourses contributing to the local habitat network.
For sites around Aylesbury, Buckingham and surrounding rural areas, established field boundaries and drainage features should be considered as part of the habitat assessment. Retaining hedgerows and strengthening connections between existing habitats may also present opportunities for biodiversity enhancement.
Buckinghamshire’s river network includes the Great Ouse, Thame, Wye and Misbourne. Their surrounding landscapes can support riverside vegetation, floodplain grassland, wetlands, ponds and riparian woodland.
Where development is proposed near these waterways, the assessment should consider the habitats along the banks and within the wider site, rather than focusing solely on the watercourse itself. Opportunities to improve wetland habitats and river corridors may also contribute to wider nature recovery priorities.
Woodland, historic parkland, mature trees and veteran tree features are important elements of Buckinghamshire’s ecological landscape, particularly around the Chilterns and established historic estates.
The county’s towns and previously developed sites can also support valuable habitats, including scrub, grassland, trees and open mosaic habitats. These areas should not automatically be considered to have low biodiversity value; their ecological characteristics and condition need to be assessed individually.
Biodiversity net gain involves more than calculating a percentage increase. The assessment and delivery strategy need to be based on reliable habitat information, appropriate use of the statutory metric and a realistic understanding of how proposed habitats will be created, enhanced and maintained.
ProHort provides ecological consultancy support for projects requiring biodiversity information as part of the planning process. We can help project teams understand the distinction between an initial BNG Assessment and the later Gain Plan stage, and identify the information needed to progress their requirements.
When preparing for a project, it is useful to have the following information available:
The site address and red-line boundary plan.
Existing and proposed site layouts, where available.
Previous ecological surveys or habitat reports.
Relevant planning application or decision documents.
Any existing biodiversity metric calculations or habitat proposals.
Details of any proposed offsite biodiversity provision.
Providing this information at the outset can help establish what work may be required and whether further ecological information is needed.
Whether you need an initial Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment in Buckinghamshire or support preparing a Biodiversity Gain Plan, ProHort can discuss your development and the ecological information required.
Contact our team to talk through your site and the next steps.Â
Yes. Buckinghamshire Council publishes a Biodiversity Net Gain Supplementary Planning Document alongside online guidance for applicants. This covers the local approach to BNG, including the assessment process, onsite opportunities and the circumstances in which offsite provision may be considered. Applicants should also check the council’s current planning guidance for their specific proposal.
The Local Nature Recovery Strategy identifies biodiversity priorities and mapped opportunities for nature recovery across Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. Buckinghamshire Council advises that the mapped measures should inform the strategic significance multiplier in the biodiversity metric. The strategy does not replace the habitat survey or determine the biodiversity value of an individual development site.Â
Yes. These are important habitats within the Chilterns landscape and may have a bearing on a site’s biodiversity baseline. Their classification, extent and condition need to be assessed using the relevant survey and metric criteria. Where development is near ancient woodland or other protected habitats, additional ecological and planning considerations may also apply.
Buckinghamshire Council has published soil guidance highlighting the importance of soil nutrient status when considering grassland enhancement, restoration and creation for BNG. Soil conditions can influence whether a proposed grassland habitat is suitable and achievable. Habitat proposals should therefore be based on the site’s characteristics and realistic management arrangements.
Potentially. Buckinghamshire Council has published guidance on the implications of BNG proposals for archaeological remains. Habitat creation and enhancement should be considered alongside heritage constraints so that proposed works do not cause harm to archaeological assets. This is particularly relevant where changes to ground levels, soil or land management are proposed.
Yes, where the statutory rules allow and the biodiversity gain hierarchy has been followed. Buckinghamshire Council’s guidance explains that offsite provision may be considered where the required gain cannot be achieved onsite. Offsite gains must meet the relevant registration, allocation and spatial risk requirements, with the habitat management arrangements legally secured for at least 30 years. Statutory biodiversity credits are a last-resort option where the relevant requirements are met.
