Planning a development in Somerset? ProHort provides Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment and Biodiversity Gain Plan services to help developers understand existing habitat value, calculate biodiversity changes and plan measurable improvements. From sites near the Somerset Levels and Moors to town-centre regeneration and rural development, we can support the BNG process using the applicable statutory biodiversity metric and the information required for your project.
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Somerset has its own local Biodiversity Net Gain guidance and validation requirements, which developers should consider when preparing a planning application.
Somerset Council requires additional information alongside BNG-liable planning applications before they can be validated. These local requirements build on the national minimum information requirements and are intended to give the Council sufficient information to assess the biodiversity implications of a proposal.
Depending on the application, the required information can include:
Wildlife and Ecology Survey
Biodiversity Checklist
Arboriculture Report
Biodiversity Net Gain Statement
Completed biodiversity metric
Biodiversity Net Gain plans and drawings
Declaration Form
SHEP/HEP metric where necessary
Applicants should check the latest Somerset Council validation requirements and use the Council’s relevant templates wherever possible. The information required will depend on the application and the characteristics of the site.Â
Somerset Council’s Biodiversity Net Gain Guidance Note provides a local framework for calculating and delivering BNG. It covers the planning process, the biodiversity gain hierarchy, on-site and off-site delivery, strategic significance, securing habitat gains and monitoring.
The guidance is particularly relevant when considering how proposed habitat improvements relate to local nature recovery priorities. It also provides guidance on what constitutes significant on-site gains within the local planning context.
This means a Somerset BNG planning assessment should consider both the national statutory framework and the relevant local guidance when developing an appropriate approach for the site.
We cover the whole of Somerset, assisting developments in Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Frome and nearby villages.
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A Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment in Somerset establishes the habitat baseline of a development site and calculates how the proposed works are expected to affect its biodiversity value.
Where the statutory BNG framework applies, most developments must achieve at least 10% biodiversity net gain. A BNG assessment for development in Somerset helps identify the habitats present, calculate their existing biodiversity value and assess how the proposed development could change that value.
Somerset’s landscape includes a wide range of habitats, from wet grassland, drainage ditches and floodplain meadows to hedgerows, orchards, woodland and species-rich grassland. These features can influence the biodiversity baseline and the opportunities available for habitat retention or enhancement.Â
A biodiversity metric assessment will typically consider:
Habitat identification and mapping: identifying and mapping the habitats within the development site, including grassland, woodland, hedgerows, watercourses and wetland features.
Habitat condition assessment: assessing the condition of each habitat using the relevant criteria within the applicable statutory biodiversity metric.
Baseline biodiversity calculations: calculating the site’s existing biodiversity value before development.
Development impact assessment: modelling how the proposed layout and habitat changes could affect biodiversity units.
Habitat retention and enhancement: identifying opportunities to retain existing habitats and improve their condition.
Biodiversity gain recommendations: considering suitable on-site habitat creation and enhancement, alongside off-site options where necessary.Â
The resulting biodiversity net gain report in Somerset provides an evidence base for understanding the site’s ecological value and informing the development’s BNG strategy. It can also help identify potential constraints and opportunities while the design is being developed.
A Biodiversity Gain Plan in Somerset explains how a development will deliver the biodiversity gain required under the statutory framework.
It is a separate stage from the initial BNG assessment. The assessment establishes the site’s habitat baseline and calculates the expected biodiversity changes, while the Biodiversity Gain Plan sets out how the required gain will be achieved for the permitted development.
Where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies, the plan must be submitted to and approved by the relevant planning authority before development begins. It brings together the biodiversity metric information, habitat proposals and arrangements for securing the proposed gains.
For developers seeking a Biodiversity Gain Plan consultant in Somerset, the document needs to be consistent with the approved development proposals and supported by the necessary evidence.
The precise information will depend on the development and its biodiversity strategy. A plan will typically address:
Development and biodiversity information: details of the permitted development and the approach being taken to achieve the biodiversity gain objective.
Biodiversity metric calculation: the relevant statutory metric calculation showing the site’s biodiversity value and the proposed post-development position.
Habitat plans: appropriately scaled plans identifying the existing and proposed habitats within the development site.
Habitat creation and enhancement: details of the habitats to be retained, created or enhanced and how they contribute to the required biodiversity gain.
On-site and off-site provision: details of the proposed approach, including registered off-site biodiversity units where required.
Habitat management and monitoring: arrangements for maintaining and monitoring significant on-site habitat enhancements where applicable.
Legal securing arrangements: relevant planning obligations or conservation covenants where these are needed to secure habitat delivery.Â
The Biodiversity Gain Plan is a standalone document. It is distinct from the biodiversity metric calculation and supporting documents such as a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan. The supporting information should be consistent and sufficiently detailed to demonstrate how the proposed biodiversity gains will be delivered.Â
A Somerset BNG assessment should reflect the ecological characteristics of the individual site. In particular, the county’s floodplain landscapes, wet grasslands and established agricultural field patterns can create considerations that differ from those found in more urban locations.
The Somerset Levels and Moors are a distinctive part of the county’s landscape, with extensive areas of low-lying wet grassland, grazing marsh, ditches, rhynes and other wetland habitats.
Where development is proposed in these landscapes, the assessment may need to consider the condition and extent of wet grassland, drainage features and the relationship between habitats across the site.
The presence of watercourses, wet ditches and floodplain features can be particularly relevant when mapping the baseline and considering habitat connectivity. Any proposed enhancement should be suitable for the site’s hydrology and ecological conditions.
Traditional field patterns are an important feature of Somerset’s rural landscape. Hedgerows, mature trees, orchards, field margins and species-rich grassland can all contribute to the ecological character of a development site.
Where these features are present, their condition and connectivity should be considered as part of the habitat baseline. Retaining suitable boundaries and improving links between habitats may also form part of a wider biodiversity strategy.
Somerset’s rivers and catchments include the Tone, Parrett, Brue and their tributaries. Their surrounding landscapes can include floodplain meadows, wet grassland, ditches, ponds and other freshwater habitats.
Development close to a watercourse should consider the habitats present and whether the proposed works could affect their condition or connectivity. Opportunities to improve riparian habitats or strengthen connections between wetland areas may be relevant where supported by site conditions and the biodiversity metric.
The Mendip Hills, Quantock Hills and Exmoor fringes provide a contrasting ecological setting to the lowland wetlands. Depending on the location, sites may be influenced by woodland, scrub, limestone grassland, heathland, moorland and other upland habitat mosaics.
Accurate habitat identification is important where development takes place near these landscapes. The site’s ecological characteristics should inform the baseline assessment and any proposed habitat creation or enhancement.
ProHort provides ecological consultancy BNG support for developers and project teams working across Somerset.
Depending on the stage and requirements of your development, our support may include:
Reviewing site plans, proposed layouts and existing ecological information.
Assessing and mapping the site’s habitat baseline.
Preparing biodiversity metric calculations using the applicable statutory metric.
Identifying opportunities for habitat retention, creation and enhancement.
Preparing Biodiversity Gain Plan documentation.
Supporting the information required for submission to the relevant planning authority.
Considering habitat management, monitoring and legal securing requirements where applicable.
We take account of the site’s ecological characteristics, the proposed development and the relevant planning requirements when considering the appropriate BNG work for a project.Â
Whether you need an initial Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment or a Biodiversity Gain Plan to support condition discharge, ProHort can help you understand the ecological information and next steps for your development.
Contact our team to discuss your site, proposed works and BNG requirements.Â
Somerset Council has local validation requirements that build on the national minimum information requirements for BNG-liable applications. Depending on the proposal, these can include a Biodiversity Net Gain Statement, completed biodiversity metric, habitat plans and drawings, a Biodiversity Checklist and supporting ecological information. Applicants should check the Council’s current validation guidance for the specific application.
The Council’s guidance note explains its local approach to BNG, including the biodiversity gain hierarchy, strategic significance, on-site and off-site delivery, habitat securing and monitoring. It is a material planning consideration and should be considered when preparing biodiversity information for a development in Somerset.
Yes. The wet grasslands, grazing marsh, ditches and other wetland features associated with the Somerset Levels and Moors can be important parts of a site’s biodiversity baseline. Their extent, condition and ecological relationships should be assessed where they are present within or relevant to the development site. Â
Registered off-site biodiversity units may be used where the required biodiversity gain cannot be delivered entirely on site, subject to the statutory biodiversity gain hierarchy and applicable rules. Somerset Council’s local guidance also addresses how on-site and off-site delivery should be considered. The metric and supporting information should explain how the remaining biodiversity unit requirement will be met.
No. The strategy identifies local nature recovery priorities and opportunities for habitat creation, restoration and connectivity. It can inform suitable enhancement proposals, but it does not replace the statutory biodiversity metric or automatically introduce a higher percentage requirement for an individual development.
The relevant planning authority will usually be the authority that granted planning permission. For many developments this will be Somerset Council, while applications within Exmoor National Park may be determined by Exmoor National Park Authority. The applicant should confirm the correct authority and its submission process before making the Biodiversity Gain Plan submission.
