Planning a development in Oldham? 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 Crompton Moor, within the Medlock Valley or on previously developed land, our approach reflects the habitats present and the needs of your project.
Calls answered in 2 rings, emails replied to within the hour.
Clear guidance before you commit.
Working in partnership with clients to ensure planning approval first time
Industry Leading Standard
We stay with you from first call through to submission.
A Biodiversity Net Gain assessment establishes the habitat baseline of a site and calculates how the proposed development is expected to change its biodiversity value. Where the statutory BNG requirements apply, this evidence helps demonstrate how the development will meet the applicable biodiversity gain objective.
Oldham’s landscape ranges from upland habitats and open countryside around Saddleworth and Crompton Moor to the river valleys, canals, parks and built-up areas around Oldham, Chadderton, Failsworth, Royton, Lees and Shaw. These varied settings can present different ecological considerations, making it important to assess the actual habitats on a site rather than assume its value from its location or previous use.
Our BNG consultant support in Oldham can help identify the information needed for your development, establish the site’s existing biodiversity value and explain how the assessment may influence design and planning decisions. Starting early can help the project team identify habitat constraints and consider practical options for biodiversity uplift before the layout is finalised.
Oldham’s local environmental context can be particularly relevant when considering habitat condition, connectivity and opportunities for nature recovery. Depending on the site’s location, considerations may include:
Crompton Moor and the upland fringe: moorland, heath, wet bog and grassland form part of the area’s distinctive ecological setting. Where these habitats occur on or near a proposed development, their condition and any relevant nature conservation designations need to be considered.
Daisy Nook Country Park and the Medlock Valley: this landscape includes waterways, a lake, canal, woodland and wildflower meadows. These habitats illustrate the range of ecological features that may occur around the wider Medlock Valley.
Crime Lake and canal corridors: waterbodies, canal-side vegetation and adjoining green spaces can form part of a wider habitat network. Their relevance depends on the location and ecological characteristics of the development site.
The River Medlock, River Irk and their tributaries: river valleys can connect different habitat areas. Existing bankside vegetation, adjoining habitats and potential effects on connectivity may need consideration where relevant.
Former mills, industrial land and transport routes: previously developed sites and linear corridors can support grassland, scrub, trees and other habitats. A site’s history does not, on its own, establish its current biodiversity value.
Woodland edges and urban greenspace: parks, tree cover, hedgerows and smaller green spaces can contribute to habitat networks and provide opportunities for retention or enhancement.
Oldham Council’s biodiversity information and green infrastructure work provide useful background for understanding the wider local context. However, these sources do not replace a site-specific assessment, and the relevance of any local habitat priority depends on the actual site and proposed works.
We support projects across the Oldham borough, working in areas such as Oldham town centre, Chadderton, Failsworth, Royton, Lees, Saddleworth, Shaw and Crompton and the wider neighbourhoods within the Oldham local authority boundary.
The scope of an ecology assessment in Oldham depends on the development proposals, the habitats present and the information already available.
Our assessment work can include:
Habitat baseline assessment: identifying and mapping the 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 features and incorporate appropriate biodiversity improvements into the design.
BNG report Oldham: documenting the baseline, metric results and relevant findings in a clear format to support the project and planning process.
Recommendations for next steps: explaining whether additional ecological surveys, layout changes, on-site habitat creation or other biodiversity delivery options may need consideration.
Existing ecological reports and habitat information can help inform the assessment. Their age, scope and suitability should be reviewed before they are relied upon for a current baseline or metric calculation.
The work required will depend on the site. A BNG assessment does not automatically include every protected species or specialist survey; additional survey requirements should be identified according to the ecological circumstances and relevant guidance.
We review the site location, red-line boundary, proposed layout and any available ecological reports or planning information. This helps establish the assessment scope and identify gaps in the information.
Where required, a biodiversity survey in Oldham gathers information about the habitats present and their condition. Survey timing and scope depend on the site, the habitats involved and whether additional ecological questions need to be addressed.
The relevant habitat information is used to calculate baseline biodiversity units and model the expected post-development position using the applicable statutory biodiversity metric. This helps establish the likely biodiversity change and identify any remaining shortfall.
The results are presented in the BNG report, with recommendations based on the site and development proposals. Where the project needs further biodiversity gains, the team can consider on-site retention, enhancement and habitat creation, alongside eligible off-site options where permitted.
A BNG assessment and a Biodiversity Gain Plan are two distinct parts of the process. The assessment establishes the site’s habitat baseline and calculates the expected change in biodiversity value. The Biodiversity Gain Plan in Oldham sets out how the development proposes to meet the applicable statutory 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 be consistent with the metric results and explain the approach to delivering and securing the proposed biodiversity gains.
A Biodiversity Gain Plan consultant can help bring together the relevant metric information, habitat proposals and supporting documents so the plan reflects the actual development and its delivery arrangements.
Depending on the development and its circumstances, the plan may cover:
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 proposals.
Any proposed off-site biodiversity gains and the information required to support them.
Habitat management, monitoring and long-term maintenance arrangements.
Supporting plans and details required for the planning authority’s consideration.
The exact requirements depend on the project and applicable rules. A BNG Gain Plan is not simply a repeat of the assessment report: it sets out how the proposed biodiversity gains will be delivered and secured.
The first consideration is how the development can retain existing biodiversity value and improve habitats within the site boundary. Depending on the site, opportunities may include retaining trees or boundary vegetation, improving grassland, creating suitable new habitats or strengthening connections between existing green spaces.
Some developments cannot achieve all their required biodiversity gains within the site. Where a shortfall remains, off-site BNG units in Oldham or from another suitable location may be considered, subject to the biodiversity gain hierarchy and the applicable statutory requirements.
The Shaw Habitat Bank, located near Oldham and adjacent to Crompton Moor Site of Biological Importance, is an example of a locally relevant off-site habitat initiative. Its published information describes habitat restoration involving lowland meadows, ponds and trees. However, the existence of a habitat bank does not guarantee that units are available or suitable for a particular development; availability, registration and eligibility must be confirmed at the time of the project.
Oldham’s wider nature recovery and green infrastructure priorities may help inform discussions about habitat connectivity and appropriate restoration opportunities. They do not automatically determine the outcome of an individual metric calculation or establish that a particular off-site unit meets a project’s requirements.
Statutory biodiversity credits are a separate mechanism and should not be treated as interchangeable with privately supplied off-site biodiversity units.
If you are planning a development in Oldham, 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.
Crompton Moor includes a range of habitats, including grassland, woodland, heath and wet bog. If a proposed development contains similar habitats or could affect nearby ecological features, the site’s habitat condition, connectivity and any relevant nature conservation designations may need to be considered. Proximity alone does not determine a site’s BNG requirements; these depend on the actual site and proposed works.
Not automatically. A location near Daisy Nook Country Park or the Medlock Valley does not, by itself, determine which surveys are required. The decision depends on the habitats present, the nature of the development and whether there are specific ecological risks or information gaps. An initial site review can help identify whether additional surveys are appropriate.
They can. Canal-side vegetation and other linear green corridors may support habitats and help connect green spaces, depending on their condition and surrounding land use. Their contribution to a BNG assessment needs to be established from the site-specific evidence and applicable metric rules rather than assumed from the presence of a corridor alone.
A former mill site should be assessed according to the habitats currently present and their condition, not simply its industrial history. Such sites can support grassland, scrub, trees and other vegetation, while some areas may remain largely hardstanding. A habitat baseline survey and metric calculation help establish the relevant biodiversity value and the implications of the proposed development.
Potentially. Where a shortfall remains after the applicable biodiversity gain hierarchy has been followed, eligible registered off-site biodiversity gains may contribute towards the development’s requirements. Any proposed units must meet the relevant statutory requirements, and their availability, registration and suitability need to be confirmed for the specific project.
No. The requirements depend on the development and the applicable statutory rules, including any exemptions or transitional provisions. A BNG assessment establishes the habitat baseline and calculates the expected biodiversity change. Where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies, a Biodiversity Gain Plan must also be approved by the planning authority before development begins. The specific requirements should be checked against the project’s circumstances.
