Do you need a Biodiversity Gain Plan in Solihull before you can start work?
Where Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) applies, a Biodiversity Gain Plan becomes the legal document required before development can begin. We prepare these plans clearly, accurately and in the format recognised by Solihull Council, ensuring your project progresses smoothly through planning.
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You’ll need a Biodiversity Gain Plan in Solihull if your planning permission includes a condition linked to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). The Plan sets out how biodiversity improvements will be delivered on the site or via off-site units, how they will be maintained, and who holds long-term responsibility.
Without an approved Biodiversity Gain Plan, many developments in Solihull cannot legally begin—even where full planning permission has already been granted.
Planning officers in Solihull most frequently request a Biodiversity Gain Plan where development affects:
Large residential and mixed-use neighbourhood expansions in areas such as Shirley, Cheswick Green, Knowle, Dorridge and Olton
Employment and logistics growth linked to the M42 corridor, Birmingham Airport, Blythe Valley Business Park and the NEC area
Greenfield release, settlement edges and agricultural land on the boundaries of Hampton-in-Arden, Balsall Common and Meriden
River corridors, wetlands and floodplains, including the River Blythe SSSI catchment, Olton Mere, Hatchford Brook and the Grand Union Canal
If this information is not presented in the required format, planning applications may be delayed or not validated.
We provide Biodiversity Gain Plan services across: Solihull, Shirley, Knowle, Dorridge, Balsall Common, Meriden, Olton, Hampton-in-Arden, Cheswick Green, and all surrounding urban and village areas.
Solihull Council requires a Biodiversity Gain Plan because Biodiversity Net Gain is mandated under the Environment Act 2021. The Plan demonstrates how the legally required biodiversity improvements will be delivered through your development. Without an approved plan, the BNG condition cannot be discharged, and the development cannot start on site.
We produce planning-ready BNG Assessments aligned to Solihull policy expectations.
Your Biodiversity Gain Plan is
prepared to meet Solihull’s planning requirements and typically includes:
Habitat delivery strategy — outlining the approach to achieving measurable biodiversity uplift
Mapped habitat parcels — accurate, metric-linked plans showing the location and type of each habitat
Optional Habitat Management & Monitoring Plan (HMMP) for developments requiring 30 years of management
Submission-ready documentation — formatted to Solihull Council’s expectations for efficient approval
This ensures your BNG condition in Solihull can be discharged correctly and without avoidable delays.
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 Solihull site needs and help you move forward without unnecessary delay.
Only projects with a planning condition linked to BNG require one. Most major and many minor developments now fall under BNG rules.
Shirley, Knowle, Dorridge, Balsall Common, Meriden and the M42 development corridor frequently trigger BNG conditions.
It must be prepared by professionals experienced in the biodiversity metric, habitat design and planning legislation.
Straightforward sites can be completed in a short timeframe, while complex or multi-phase schemes may require longer.
Yes. When required, an HMMP can be integrated to provide a legally compliant 30-year management plan.
No. Starting development before the Biodiversity Gain Plan is approved can result in planning enforcement action.
