Do you need a Biodiversity Gain Plan in Nottinghamshire before you can start work?
Where Biodiversity Net Gain applies, a Biodiversity Gain Plan becomes the legal document that allows work to begin. We put that plan together clearly, correctly and in a format councils approve, so your project moves ahead.
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In simple terms, you’ll need a Biodiversity Gain Plan for your Nottinghamshire site if your planning permission includes a condition linked to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). The Biodiversity Gain Plan is the document that shows how the required biodiversity improvement will actually be delivered, how it will be maintained, and who is responsible for it.
Without an approved Biodiversity Gain Plan in place, many developments cannot legally begin, even where planning permission has already been granted.
Planning authorities in Nottinghamshire most often request structured Biodiversity Gain Plan submissions where development involves:
• Large-scale residential and mixed-use allocations around Nottingham, Gedling, Ashfield and growth corridors linked to the city fringe
• Redevelopment of former colliery, warehousing and industrial land across Mansfield, Worksop and Newark
• Transport-led schemes associated with the A1, A46, rail infrastructure and logistics hubs serving East Midlands distribution networks
• Greenfield expansion, farmland and wooded margins near Sherwood Forest, Trent Valley settlements and rural village edges
Where this information is not submitted in the required format, applications are frequently delayed at validation or conditioned later in the determination process.
We provide Biodiversity Gain Plan services across Nottingham, Mansfield, Newark-on-Trent, Worksop, Beeston, West Bridgford, Hucknall, Retford, Arnold and all surrounding towns and rural areas across Nottinghamshire.
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Planning Authorities across Nottinghamshire require a Biodiversity Gain Plan because Biodiversity Net Gain is now a legal requirement under the Environment Act 2021 and must be formally secured through the planning system. The Plan provides the legally enforceable route for delivering and maintaining biodiversity improvements linked to a specific permission. Without an approved Biodiversity Gain Plan, the BNG condition cannot be lawfully discharged, and development cannot commence on site.
We prepare compliant, planning-ready Biodiversity Gain Plans that meet Nottinghamshire’s policy requirements and keep your BNG on track.
Your Biodiversity Gain Plan is structured to meet Nottinghamshire’s planning requirements and typically includes:
Habitat delivery strategy — how and where biodiversity uplift will be achieved
Mapped habitat parcels — legally reliable plans linking habitats to the approved metric
Optional integration with a Habitat Management & Monitoring Plan (HMMP) where 30-year management is required
Submission-ready planning document — formatted for Local Planning Authority approval
This ensures your BNG condition in Nottinghamshire can be discharged cleanly and lawfully.
We assess your existing BNG assessment, site layout and planning condition.
Habitat delivery proposals, mapping and management requirements are drafted.
The plan is aligned with your build programme and any wider ecological or planning documents.
 We respond to any LPA queries or amendments required.
Ready to secure approval and start on site? We’ll confirm what your Nottinghamshire site needs and help you move forward without unnecessary delay.Â
In Nottinghamshire, a Biodiversity Gain Plan formally demonstrates how a development will achieve at least 10 percent Biodiversity Net Gain compared to the approved baseline habitat calculation. It confirms how habitat losses have been quantified and how gains will be delivered, secured and maintained in accordance with statutory requirements.
No. Planning permission may be granted subject to a condition requiring submission and approval of the Biodiversity Gain Plan. The plan is typically approved after permission but before development commences. It is a separate statutory approval process.
Yes. Green Belt designation does not remove the requirement to achieve Biodiversity Net Gain. Where development is permitted, the Biodiversity Gain Plan must still demonstrate how measurable ecological uplift will be delivered and secured.
No. Brownfield sites are not automatically exempt. While baseline habitat units may be lower, the statutory 10 percent uplift still applies unless a specific legal exemption is met. The Biodiversity Gain Plan must clearly justify the baseline used.
If sufficient uplift cannot be achieved on site, developers may secure off site biodiversity units. The Biodiversity Gain Plan must clearly identify the off site location, confirm its registration and demonstrate that units are legally secured.
The Biodiversity Metric underpins the entire plan. It quantifies baseline habitat units and proposed post development units. The Biodiversity Gain Plan must align precisely with the metric outputs submitted and approved by the Local Planning Authority.
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No. Where secured by a pre commencement condition, development cannot lawfully begin until the Biodiversity Gain Plan has been formally approved by the relevant Local Planning Authority.
Delays commonly arise where habitat plans do not match metric calculations, baseline surveys are outdated or habitat delivery proposals lack clarity. Inconsistent documentation between ecological reports and planning drawings is another frequent issue.
The relevant Local Planning Authority reviews and approves the plan. This may include district councils such as Rushcliffe Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council or Bassetlaw District Council, or Nottingham City Council for sites within the city boundary. Developers can review planning information via Rushcliffe Borough Council’s planning portal at:
https://www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/planning/
ProHort prepares structured, compliant Biodiversity Gain Plans aligned with Nottinghamshire authority expectations. We ensure metric calculations, habitat proposals and legal securing mechanisms are clearly presented to reduce validation queries and pre commencement delays.
