Planning a development in Bury? ProHort provides BNG assessments, biodiversity surveys and Biodiversity Gain Plan support for developers, architects and planning consultants. From establishing a habitat baseline to completing a BNG metric calculation and preparing a BNG report, we help you understand your site’s biodiversity value and plan the next steps towards the required biodiversity uplift.
Whether your site is near the River Irwell, within an urban regeneration area or close to Bury’s upland habitats, our approach is tailored to the site’s ecological characteristics and your project’s planning requirements.
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A Biodiversity Net Gain assessment establishes the ecological baseline of a site and calculates how the proposed development is expected to change its biodiversity value. Where the statutory BNG requirements apply, the assessment helps demonstrate how the development will meet the applicable biodiversity gain objective.
Bury contains a varied landscape, from the upland areas around Holcombe and Hawkshaw to the river valleys, woodlands and built-up areas around Bury, Radcliffe, Prestwich, Whitefield, Ramsbottom and Tottington. These differences matter because habitat type, condition, location and connectivity can all influence a site’s baseline and the options available for achieving biodiversity uplift.
Our BNG consultant support in Bury can help you understand what ecological information is needed, identify potential constraints and establish how biodiversity considerations may influence the development layout. Assessing these factors early can help the project team make informed decisions before plans become more difficult to change.
A site-specific BNG assessment should reflect the habitats actually present. Depending on the location, relevant ecological considerations across Bury may include:
Holcombe and Hawkshaw: the wider upland landscape includes opportunities for upland habitat restoration. Where a development could affect heathland, grassland or other upland habitats, the site’s ecological characteristics and any relevant designations should be investigated.
Upper and Lower Irwell Valley: river corridors can connect woodland, grassland, wetlands and other habitats. Their presence and condition may be relevant to understanding habitat connectivity around a proposed development.
Gorses and Chetham Woods: woodland and heathland habitats provide a distinct ecological context for sites in the wider area. Existing woodland edges, adjoining vegetation and opportunities for habitat connections may need consideration.
Elton, Coggra Fold and local pond networks: ponds, reservoirs and other waterbodies can contribute to local biodiversity. Their relevance depends on their location, habitat features and relationship to the development site.
Urban and previously developed land: sites around established settlements and former industrial areas can support grassland, scrub, trees and other habitats. Previous land use alone is not a reliable measure of current biodiversity value.
These examples provide local context rather than a conclusion about any individual site. The Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy can help inform the wider nature recovery context, but it does not replace a site-specific habitat assessment or automatically determine the BNG requirements of a development.
We support projects across the Bury borough, working in areas such as Bury town centre, Prestwich, Whitefield, Radcliffe, Tottington, Ramsbottom, Pimhole and the wider neighbourhoods within the Bury local authority boundary.
The scope of a BNG assessment depends on the proposed works, the habitats present and the quality of the existing ecological information.
Our assessment work can include:
Habitat baseline assessment: identifying and mapping relevant habitats and assessing their condition using the applicable methodology.
BNG metric calculation: calculating baseline biodiversity units and assessing the expected change resulting from the proposed development.
Habitat retention and enhancement advice: identifying opportunities to retain valuable habitat features and incorporate biodiversity improvements into the design.
BNG report Bury: presenting the assessment findings, supporting metric information and relevant recommendations clearly for the project team and planning process.
Next-step guidance: explaining whether further surveys, layout changes, on-site habitat creation or other biodiversity delivery options may need to be considered.
Where existing ecological reports are available, these can help inform the work. Their age, survey scope and suitability should be checked before relying on them for a current baseline or metric calculation.
We review the site location, red-line boundary, proposed layout and any available ecological reports or planning information. This helps establish the likely scope of the assessment and identify any information gaps.
Where required, a biodiversity survey in Bury gathers information about the habitats present and their condition. The appropriate survey work depends on the site’s characteristics and may need to be planned around seasonal or habitat-specific requirements.
The verified habitat information is used to calculate baseline biodiversity units and model the expected post-development position using the applicable statutory biodiversity metric. This helps identify the scale of any remaining biodiversity shortfall and informs the proposed approach to biodiversity uplift.
The results are documented in the BNG report, with recommendations based on the assessment and proposed development. Where additional biodiversity gains are needed, the project team can consider suitable on-site measures and, where permitted, eligible off-site biodiversity units.
A BNG assessment and a Biodiversity Gain Plan are related but distinct services. The assessment establishes the habitat baseline and calculates the anticipated change in biodiversity value. The Biodiversity Gain Plan in Bury explains how the development proposes to meet the applicable biodiversity gain requirements and deliver its planned gains.
Where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies, the Biodiversity Gain Plan must be approved by the relevant planning authority before development begins. It needs to align with the metric results and the proposed approach to habitat retention, creation, enhancement and any eligible off-site gains.
A Biodiversity Gain Plan consultant can help coordinate the relevant information, clarify how the proposed gains will be delivered and ensure the plan reflects the project’s circumstances.
Depending on the development, the plan may address:
The proposed approach to meeting the applicable biodiversity gain objective.
The completed biodiversity metric and relevant supporting information.
On-site habitat retention, enhancement and creation measures.
Proposed off-site biodiversity gains, where these are needed and permitted.
Habitat management, monitoring and long-term maintenance arrangements.
Plans and supporting details required for the planning authority’s consideration.
The specific content depends on the development and applicable requirements. A BNG Gain Plan is not simply a duplicate of the assessment report: it sets out the proposed delivery approach and the arrangements for securing the biodiversity gains.
The best starting point is to consider how biodiversity can be retained and improved within the development boundary. Depending on the site, opportunities may include improving grassland, retaining trees and woodland edges, creating suitable new habitats or strengthening connections between existing habitat features.
However, some developments may not be able to achieve all their required biodiversity gains on-site. Where a shortfall remains, off-site BNG units in Bury or from another suitable location may be considered, subject to the biodiversity gain hierarchy and the relevant statutory rules. The eligibility, registration, availability and suitability of any proposed units must be confirmed for the individual project.
The Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy provides wider context for habitat restoration and nature recovery priorities. It may help inform discussions about where habitat creation or enhancement could contribute to local ecological networks, but it does not guarantee that a particular off-site unit will be suitable or available for a development.
Statutory biodiversity credits are a separate mechanism with their own conditions and should not be treated as interchangeable with privately supplied off-site biodiversity units.
If you are planning a development in Bury, contact ProHort to discuss your site and the support you need. We can review the information available, help establish the appropriate assessment scope and explain the next steps towards addressing your Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.
To help us understand your project, you can provide your site postcode, red-line boundary plan, proposed layout and any previous ecological reports or planning correspondence.
Areas around Holcombe and Hawkshaw form part of Bury’s wider upland landscape, where heathland, grassland and other upland habitats may be relevant to nature recovery. If habitats of this type occur on or near a proposed development, their presence, condition and ecological context may influence the assessment and the options for biodiversity uplift. The actual implications depend on the site and any applicable ecological or planning constraints.
Not automatically. A site’s proximity to the River Irwell does not, by itself, determine the assessment requirements. However, river corridors can connect different habitats, so the ecological context may be relevant when considering habitat mapping, potential impacts and opportunities for retention or enhancement. The required assessment and any additional surveys depend on the site and the proposed works.
Yes. Ponds, reservoirs and associated vegetation may contribute to a site’s biodiversity value, depending on the habitats present and their condition. Their relevance to a BNG assessment depends on their location, relationship to the development and the applicable metric rules. A site-specific assessment is needed to establish how these features should be recorded and considered.
Yes. Former industrial and other previously developed sites can support grassland, scrub, trees and other habitats. Their biodiversity value depends on what is present, the condition of the habitats and the site’s history and management. The habitat baseline should be based on appropriate evidence rather than assuming that previous development means the site has low ecological value.
The first step is to understand the shortfall shown by the metric and review whether the development design offers further opportunities to retain, enhance or create habitats. Where a shortfall remains, eligible off-site biodiversity units may be considered in accordance with the biodiversity gain hierarchy and applicable statutory requirements. Their suitability and availability need to be verified for the project.
They serve different purposes, and the documents required depend on the development and the applicable statutory rules. A BNG assessment and its supporting report establish the habitat baseline and calculate the anticipated change in biodiversity value. Where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies, a Biodiversity Gain Plan must also be approved by the planning authority before development begins. Exemptions and transitional provisions may apply, so the project’s circumstances should be checked.
