Planning a development in Greater Manchester? ProHort provides Biodiversity Net Gain assessments, habitat surveys, BNG metric calculations and Biodiversity Gain Plan support for developers, architects, planning consultants and landowners. From establishing the ecological value of a site to preparing the information needed to demonstrate how biodiversity gain will be achieved, we help you understand your project’s requirements and plan the next steps.
Greater Manchester contains a diverse range of urban, industrial, agricultural and semi-natural landscapes. Whether your site is within a town centre, a former industrial area, close to a canal or river corridor, or on the edge of the region’s upland habitats, our approach is tailored to the site’s existing ecological characteristics and your development proposals.
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Greater Manchester includes a wide variety of habitats, from urban green spaces and former industrial land to river corridors, wetlands, woodland and upland landscapes. These differences can influence the habitats present on a development site and the opportunities available for biodiversity enhancement.
The Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) identifies regional priorities for nature recovery. These include improving urban green spaces, strengthening woodland and hedgerow networks, restoring rivers and waterways, supporting lowland mosslands and wetlands, and improving habitats across grassland, farmland and upland areas.
These priorities provide useful context when considering biodiversity opportunities, but they do not replace a site-specific habitat assessment or automatically determine the statutory BNG requirements for an individual development.Â
Some of the ecological features and landscapes relevant to projects across the region include:
Areas such as Chat Moss demonstrate the importance of Greater Manchester’s lowland mossland and wetland landscapes. These habitats can be important for biodiversity and may provide context for considering habitat connectivity and opportunities for nature recovery.
The River Irwell, River Mersey and River Medlock, alongside the region’s canal network, form important landscape features. Watercourses and their associated habitats can contribute to local ecological networks and may be relevant when assessing a site’s habitat value and potential enhancement opportunities.
Greater Manchester contains extensive urban areas and former industrial sites. These locations should not automatically be assumed to have low biodiversity value. Habitat features such as grassland, scrub, trees, ponds and established vegetation may be present and should be assessed appropriately.
The region also includes woodland, grassland and upland landscapes, particularly towards the West Pennine Moors and the edges of the Peak District. These habitats contribute to the wider ecological character of Greater Manchester and may inform opportunities for habitat enhancement and connectivity.
A Biodiversity Net Gain assessment establishes the habitat baseline of a development site and calculates how the proposed works are expected to affect its biodiversity value. This provides an evidence-based starting point for understanding the biodiversity change associated with a development and identifying how the required gain could be achieved.
ProHort can support your project with the ecological assessment and reporting needed to inform its Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.Â
Our work can include:
Habitat surveys: Identifying and mapping the habitats present within the site and relevant areas surrounding it, where required.
Habitat condition assessments: Evaluating habitat condition using the applicable assessment methodology.
BNG metric calculations: Using the relevant statutory biodiversity metric to calculate the site’s baseline biodiversity value and assess the proposed habitat changes.
Biodiversity Net Gain reporting: Presenting the assessment findings, calculations and relevant recommendations to support the planning process.
Biodiversity enhancement advice: Identifying opportunities to retain, enhance or create habitats as part of the development proposals.
A site-specific assessment is important because biodiversity value cannot be determined from a site’s appearance or previous land use alone. Even urban and previously developed sites can contain habitats that need to be identified and assessed.Â
Where the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies, a Biodiversity Gain Plan must be approved by the relevant Local Planning Authority before development begins. The plan sets out how the development will deliver the required biodiversity gain and demonstrates how the applicable requirements will be met.
ProHort provides Biodiversity Gain Plan support in Greater Manchester, helping developers and project teams bring together the information needed to explain their proposed approach to biodiversity gain.
Depending on the project, this can include:
Setting out the pre-development biodiversity value of the onsite habitat.
Explaining the proposed approach to avoiding and minimising biodiversity impacts.
Identifying the habitat creation and enhancement proposed within the development.
Detailing any relevant off-site biodiversity gains or statutory biodiversity credits.
Providing the supporting metric information and details required for the Biodiversity Gain Plan.Â
A Biodiversity Gain Plan is not the same as a BNG assessment. The assessment establishes the habitat baseline and calculates biodiversity value, while the plan explains how the development intends to meet its biodiversity gain requirements.
Our team can help you understand the information needed for your project and support the preparation of the relevant BNG documentation for planning. Â
Understanding your Biodiversity Net Gain requirements early can help you make informed decisions about site layout, habitat retention and the next stages of your planning application.
ProHort supports projects with ecological assessment and Biodiversity Gain Plan services, helping you understand the information required and how it relates to your development.
When working with ProHort, you benefit from:
Specialist ecological support: Access to an ecology team experienced in habitat assessment and Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.
Site-specific assessments: Recommendations and calculations based on the habitats and ecological characteristics identified at your site.
Planning-focused reporting: Clear information to help your project team understand the assessment findings and relevant BNG requirements.
Support across the BNG process: Assistance with habitat baseline assessments, metric calculations, biodiversity reporting and Biodiversity Gain Plan preparation.
Consideration of off-site options: Where appropriate, support in understanding how eligible off-site biodiversity gains may contribute towards a development’s requirements.
Whether you are preparing an initial planning proposal or progressing towards the discharge of the biodiversity gain condition, our team can help you understand the ecological information and documentation your project may need.Â
If you need a BNG assessment, Biodiversity Net Gain report, habitat survey, metric calculation or Biodiversity Gain Plan support in Greater Manchester, ProHort can help you understand the next steps.
Contact our team to discuss your development and the ecological support you require.Â
The Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) identifies regional priorities for nature recovery, including opportunities to improve habitat networks and support important local habitats. It can provide useful context when considering biodiversity enhancement opportunities for a development.
However, the LNRS does not replace a site-specific BNG assessment or automatically determine the statutory requirements for a development. Your assessment should be based on the habitats and conditions identified at the site, alongside the applicable biodiversity metric and planning requirements.
The statutory Biodiversity Net Gain framework applies nationally where the relevant requirements are triggered. However, the ecological characteristics of sites can vary considerably across Greater Manchester.
For example, a site in an urban redevelopment area may contain different habitats and enhancement opportunities from one near a river corridor, lowland mossland or upland landscape. The relevant Local Planning Authority and the specific planning circumstances should also be considered when preparing your BNG information.
Yes. A development can influence the surrounding ecological environment, particularly where habitats connect to wider green infrastructure, waterways or wildlife corridors.
The BNG metric focuses on the habitats included within the relevant assessment and the applicable rules for the development. However, considering the site’s wider ecological context can help identify potential impacts, opportunities for habitat connectivity and suitable enhancement measures.Â
Brownfield sites should not automatically be considered to have negligible biodiversity value. Depending on their condition and history, they may support habitats such as grassland, scrub, trees, ponds and other vegetation.
A site-specific habitat assessment is needed to identify and map the habitats present, assess their condition and establish the baseline biodiversity value using the applicable statutory metric. This ensures that the assessment reflects the site’s actual ecological characteristics rather than assumptions based on its previous use.
Eligible off-site biodiversity gains may be used to contribute towards a development’s BNG requirements, subject to the applicable statutory rules and biodiversity gain hierarchy.
The location of an off-site gain can be relevant to its suitability and how it contributes towards the development’s requirements. The relevant spatial risk rules, registration requirements and other applicable conditions must be considered before relying on off-site units. An off-site gain does not automatically qualify simply because it is located elsewhere in Greater Manchester.
The requirement for a Biodiversity Gain Plan depends on the development and whether the statutory biodiversity gain condition applies. Where it does apply, the plan must be submitted to and approved by the relevant Local Planning Authority before development begins.
Greater Manchester has ten local planning authorities, but the number of planning authorities involved does not automatically mean that a project needs multiple Biodiversity Gain Plans. The correct approach will depend on the planning arrangements and circumstances of the development.
