If your development could affect habitats in Leicestershire, understanding its biodiversity value early can help you plan for the requirements of the planning process. ProHort supports developers, landowners and project teams with Biodiversity Net Gain Assessments in Leicestershire, statutory biodiversity metric calculations and Biodiversity Gain Plans.
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The statutory BNG framework generally requires at least 10% biodiversity net gain for development to which the requirement applies, subject to statutory exemptions and transitional provisions.
For projects in Leicestershire, it is important to establish the relevant planning authority and understand the information it requires at each stage. Leicestershire County Council’s Ecology Advice Service provides biodiversity advice to a number of local planning authorities, but the relevant planning authority remains responsible for the planning decision. Separate ecology advice arrangements apply in Charnwood and Leicester City.
The county also publishes guidance on the information that can support BNG consideration during the planning application process. This includes baseline habitat information and plans, with additional information on proposed onsite or offsite gains where available.
Early planning biodiversity net gain support in Leicestershire can help identify potential issues with habitat retention, enhancement and offsite requirements before they become more difficult to accommodate within the scheme.Â
We support projects across Leicestershire, including Leicester, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray and surrounding settlements.
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A Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment establishes the ecological baseline of a development site and assesses how the proposed works could affect its habitats. It uses habitat survey information and the applicable statutory biodiversity metric to calculate the site’s pre-development biodiversity value and assess the potential for biodiversity improvements.
A BNG assessment in Leicestershire can help identify habitat constraints and opportunities before a planning application progresses. This is particularly relevant where proposals involve agricultural land, established hedgerows, woodland edges, watercourses or areas of existing wildlife value.Â
Depending on the site and the information available, a biodiversity net gain assessment may involve:
Reviewing existing ecological information and relevant site plans.
Identifying and mapping habitats within the site 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 Leicestershire, giving the project team a clearer understanding of the site’s baseline value and the potential implications for planning.Â
Leicestershire contains a varied mix of landscapes, from the wooded and rocky character of Charnwood Forest to the agricultural landscapes of the Vale of Belvoir and the river corridors of the Soar, Wreake and Welland.
These settings can present different considerations when assessing a site’s biodiversity value. For example, a development on the edge of a market town may include established hedgerows and mature trees, while a site in a river valley may contain wet grassland, ditches or other water-associated habitats.
Former industrial land and previously developed sites can also support habitat features that need to be assessed rather than assumed to have low biodiversity value.
Understanding these characteristics is an important part of a site-specific biodiversity metric assessment in Leicestershire. The assessment should reflect the habitats actually present, their condition and the proposed development, rather than relying on broad assumptions about the surrounding landscape.
A Biodiversity Gain Plan is different from the initial BNG Assessment. While the assessment establishes the site’s biodiversity baseline and calculates its value, 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 and provides information about the onsite and offsite gains being used.
ProHort can support the preparation of a Biodiversity Gain Plan in Leicestershire, helping project teams bring the relevant biodiversity metric information, habitat proposals and supporting details together for submission.
The content of a Gain Plan will depend on the development, the biodiversity strategy and the requirements that apply to the site. It will generally need to explain:
The pre-development biodiversity value of the onsite habitat.
The post-development biodiversity value of onsite habitat, where applicable.
Any registered offsite biodiversity gains being relied upon.
Any statutory biodiversity credits being used, where applicable.
How the biodiversity gain objective will be met.
Relevant supporting plans, metric calculations and evidence.
Where significant onsite habitat enhancements or offsite gains are involved, arrangements for securing, managing and monitoring those habitats are also important. Depending on the circumstances, this may involve a legal agreement, condition or conservation covenant, alongside a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan.
A biodiversity gain plan consultant in Leicestershire should consider the relationship between the metric, the proposed habitat works and the arrangements for long-term delivery. The information must be consistent with the development proposals and the applicable statutory requirements.Â
The Gain Plan stage normally follows the grant of planning permission. It is not the same as the initial BNG information submitted with a planning application.
The developer must submit the Biodiversity Gain Plan to the planning authority for approval before starting development where the statutory condition applies. The authority responsible for determining the Gain Plan will usually be the local planning authority that granted the relevant permission.
Leicestershire has a local approach to securing and monitoring certain biodiversity gains. County guidance describes how Section 106 agreements may be used for significant onsite and offsite BNG, and explains the role of the county’s Ecology Advice Service in reviewing and monitoring BNG for participating authorities. The relevant district or borough should be consulted about its own approach to legal agreements and associated requirements.
ProHort can help prepare the biodiversity information and supporting documentation needed for a Biodiversity Gain Plan submission in Leicestershire, with the aim of making the proposed approach clear and consistent with the relevant planning permission.
The Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland LNRS provides a strategic picture of where nature recovery could have the greatest impact. Its priorities include improving habitat quality, increasing the area of land and water managed for wildlife, strengthening ecological connectivity, supporting nature-based solutions and protecting green and blue spaces in urban areas.
The strategy and its Local Habitat Map can provide useful context when considering potential habitat creation and enhancement. However, the LNRS does not replace the statutory biodiversity metric, determine the biodiversity value of an individual development site or create a separate BNG percentage requirement for every proposal.
For developers, using the strategy as part of early site consideration can help identify opportunities to make habitat improvements that complement wider nature recovery priorities, where these are suitable and achievable.Â
Leicestershire’s ecological character is shaped by its varied geology, river valleys, agricultural landscapes, woodland networks and areas of historic industry. These features provide important context when considering how development can avoid unnecessary habitat loss and contribute to nature recovery.
The Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland was published in August 2025. It identifies strategic priorities and maps existing and potential areas for nature recovery across the wider strategy area. Although the strategy covers Leicester and Rutland as well as Leicestershire, its landscape-scale approach is relevant when considering habitat connectivity and opportunities for biodiversity enhancement in the county.
Charnwood Forest is a distinctive landscape in north-west Leicestershire, recognised for its rocky outcrops, ancient woodland, heathland and areas of grassland. Its varied habitats can make site-specific ecological assessment particularly important where development is proposed near woodland edges, open habitats or established wildlife corridors.
For sites in and around the Charnwood area, the assessment should establish the habitat types and condition present on the development land. The surrounding landscape can provide useful context, but it does not replace a survey of the site itself.
The National Forest spans parts of north-west Leicestershire and neighbouring areas. Woodland creation and restoration are important elements of the wider landscape, alongside existing farmland, grassland, hedgerows and wetland habitats.
Where development is proposed in this part of the county, retaining existing habitat features and considering how new planting or habitat creation could connect with the wider landscape may be relevant to the biodiversity strategy. Any proposed enhancement must still be assessed against the applicable metric rules and requirements.
Leicestershire’s river valleys provide important ecological corridors through agricultural and developed landscapes. The Soar and Wreake valleys, together with the Welland corridor, include a range of habitats associated with watercourses and their surrounding land.
Depending on the location, development sites may contain streams, ditches, floodplain grassland, wetland features, riparian vegetation or hedgerows connecting habitats across the wider landscape. These features can influence the baseline assessment and the opportunities available for onsite enhancement.
Much of Leicestershire has a strong agricultural character, with field boundaries, hedgerows, trees, grassland and small areas of woodland contributing to the wider habitat network.
The Vale of Belvoir and other rural parts of the county demonstrate why it is important to assess individual habitat features carefully. Hedgerows can contribute to habitat connectivity, while grassland condition and field margins can affect the biodiversity value recorded by the metric.
A site-specific assessment helps establish which features can be retained, where enhancement may be possible and how the proposed development could affect the existing habitat network.
BNG involves more than calculating a percentage uplift. The assessment and delivery strategy need to be based on accurate habitat information, appropriate metric use 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 the initial assessment and the later Gain Plan stage, and identify the information needed to progress their BNG 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 Leicestershire 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. Leicestershire County Council publishes BNG guidance and supporting information for planning applicants and local planning authorities. This includes advice on the information that can support planning applications, draft Gain Plans, offsite provision and the securing and monitoring of certain biodiversity gains. Applicants should also check the requirements of the planning authority responsible for their site.
The Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland LNRS provides strategic information about local nature recovery priorities and areas where habitat creation or enhancement could be beneficial. It can help inform the wider context of a BNG strategy, but it does not replace the statutory biodiversity metric or determine the baseline value of an individual site.
Yes. Hedgerows are assessed as a separate habitat category within the statutory biodiversity metric. Their value depends on factors such as their type, condition and relevant metric criteria. Their position within the wider landscape may also be relevant when considering habitat connectivity and retention opportunities.
The biodiversity gain hierarchy should be followed. Developers should first consider avoiding or reducing impacts, then opportunities to enhance or create habitats onsite. Where the required gain cannot be achieved onsite, registered offsite biodiversity units may be used in accordance with the statutory rules. Statutory biodiversity credits may be available as a last resort where the relevant requirements are met.
The planning authority responsible for approving the Gain Plan will usually be the local planning authority that granted the planning permission. Leicestershire County Council’s Ecology Advice Service provides biodiversity advice to a number of authorities, but it does not make the final planning decision for those applications. The relevant authority should be confirmed for each site.
Where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies, the Gain Plan must be submitted after planning permission has been granted and approved before development begins. The plan explains how the development will meet the biodiversity gain objective and should be supported by the relevant metric information and evidence.
