Do you need a Biodiversity Gain Plan in Somerset 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 Somerset 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 officers in Somerset commonly require Biodiversity Gain Plan evidence for development affecting:
• Large residential and employment growth around Taunton, Bridgwater and settlement expansion areas
• Regeneration of former industrial land, including disused employment and dock-related sites
• Infrastructure and transport schemes associated with major roads and rail links
• Greenfield land, farmland and wetland margins near the Levels, Moors and rural village edges
Failure to submit appropriate BNG documentation often results in validation delays or additional planning conditions.
We provide Biodiversity Gain Plan services across Taunton, Bath, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Frome, Wells, Glastonbury, Street and all surrounding towns and rural areas across Somerset.
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Planning Authorities across Somerset 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 Somerset’s policy requirements and keep your BNG on track.
Your Biodiversity Gain Plan is structured to meet Somerset’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 Somerset 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 Somerset site needs and help you move forward without unnecessary delay.Â
Yes. Where development falls within the statutory scope of Biodiversity Net Gain legislation, a Biodiversity Gain Plan must demonstrate at least 10 percent measurable uplift compared to the approved baseline habitat value.
Sites within the Levels and Moors must consider floodplain constraints and peat influenced soils. The Biodiversity Gain Plan must ensure habitat proposals are realistic, deliverable and capable of long term management within water sensitive landscapes.
Peat soils can affect habitat establishment and long term condition. The Biodiversity Gain Plan must ensure habitat types proposed are appropriate for soil conditions and correctly quantified within the Biodiversity Metric.
Yes. Solar farms and other renewable developments are not automatically exempt. The Biodiversity Gain Plan must quantify habitat impacts and demonstrate compliant uplift prior to commencement.
Many Somerset developments occur on improved grassland or arable land. The Biodiversity Gain Plan must accurately calculate baseline habitat units and avoid overstating distinctiveness.
Somerset Council acts as the Local Planning Authority and is responsible for reviewing and approving Biodiversity Gain Plans prior to commencement.
Planning guidance can be accessed at:
https://www.somerset.gov.uk/planning-buildings-and-land/
Where development lies within or near the Mendip Hills National Landscape, habitat proposals must be sensitive to landscape character and ecological value. The Biodiversity Gain Plan must demonstrate measurable uplift without undermining protected landscape objectives.
Yes. Where appropriate, wet grassland or meadow creation can contribute to measurable uplift if ecologically specified and correctly quantified within the Biodiversity Metric.
Risks include unrealistic habitat proposals for flood prone land, inaccurate habitat area measurements and inconsistency between metric outputs and site layout drawings.
ProHort prepares technically robust Biodiversity Gain Plans tailored to Somerset’s floodplain and rural planning context. We ensure accurate metric modelling, realistic habitat proposals and clear securing mechanisms to minimise approval risk.
