Need to show biodiversity improvements in the West Midlands?
We prepare clear, planning-ready Biodiversity Enhancement Plans that meet local policy expectations and keep your application moving.
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In many cases, planning officers in the West Midlands request clear biodiversity improvements even where statutory Net Gain is not being applied. A Biodiversity Enhancement Plan sets out what will be delivered, where it will happen, and how it supports local planning policy — in a proportionate, approvable format.Â
Planning-first. Proportionate. Submission-ready.Â
Planning officers across the West Midlands commonly request biodiversity enhancement where proposals involve:
Residential infill and mixed-use development within urban neighbourhoods
Small brownfield and regeneration sites
Sites close to canals, linear green space or retained vegetation
Development adjacent to watercourses or urban ecological corridors
In the West Midlands, enhancement requests are frequently applied to support validation and improve scheme acceptability.
We support Biodiversity Enhancement Plan submissions across Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Solihull, Dudley, Walsall and the wider West Midlands conurbation.
Planning authorities across the West Midlands require biodiversity enhancement to meet duties set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which expects development to protect and enhance biodiversity and deliver measurable environmental benefits. Local Plans across the West Midlands reflect this requirement, even where statutory Biodiversity Net Gain is not being formally applied.Â
In practice, Biodiversity Enhancement Plans in the West Midlands are used to support validation, policy compliance and decision-making, particularly on smaller, exempt or edge-case schemes. They give planning officers confidence that biodiversity has been properly addressed in line with planning policy, without triggering unnecessary statutory processes. The focus remains on clear, proportionate delivery rather than technical escalation.Â
Our Biodiversity Enhancement service delivers clear, planning-compliant solutions that manage ecological constraints effectively while supporting smooth and efficient project delivery.
As part of a Biodiversity Enhancement Plan for the West Midlands, we provide:Â
Clear enhancement layout plans showing where features will be delivered on siteÂ
Defined enhancement features and specifications, including integrated or retrofitted measuresÂ
Practical management requirements to ensure features remain effective once installedÂ
Planning-ready justification aligned with local and national biodiversity policyÂ
Review of the site and planning context to confirm level of enhancement.
Realistic biodiversity improvements are defined and aligned with layout and landscape proposals.
A concise, submission-ready Biodiversity Enhancement Plan is prepared.
We support responses to planning officer or ecology queries to assist validation or approval.
Been asked for biodiversity improvements by the council in the West Midlands?Â
We’ll confirm what’s required and deliver a proportionate Biodiversity Enhancement Plan that planning officers can approve.Â
A Biodiversity Enhancement Plan is a planning stage document that sets out how a proposed development within the West Midlands metropolitan area will deliver measurable ecological improvements. It explains how biodiversity is embedded into site design through habitat creation, green infrastructure and urban greening measures.
Metropolitan boroughs including Birmingham City Council, Wolverhampton City Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council commonly request biodiversity enhancement details at planning application stage. The plan demonstrates compliance with local policy requiring ecological improvement within highly urbanised environments.
On high density regeneration schemes, enhancements may include green roofs, podium planting, street tree corridors, vertical greening systems and wildlife friendly drainage features. The Enhancement Plan must clearly explain how these elements function ecologically rather than serving purely aesthetic purposes.
Yes. Brownfield sites often offer opportunities to introduce structured planting, habitat mosaics, green roof systems and biodiverse public realm design. The plan must demonstrate measurable improvement compared with the existing site baseline.
The West Midlands contains extensive canal and transport corridors. Where development adjoins these features, the Enhancement Plan should strengthen habitat connectivity and avoid fragmentation. Measures may include native planting buffers and integrated green infrastructure.
Where Biodiversity Net Gain legislation applies, enhancement proposals must align with Biodiversity Metric calculations submitted with the application. The Enhancement Plan should clearly reference how proposed habitats contribute to measurable uplift.
Urban greening measures such as tree canopy expansion, green roofs and sustainable drainage systems can deliver both ecological and climate resilience benefits. The Enhancement Plan should define ecological objectives alongside wider environmental performance targets.
Common issues include token landscaping, failure to integrate biodiversity into building design, lack of measurable targets and inconsistencies between architectural drawings and ecological proposals. Urban schemes require careful coordination between disciplines.
Developers should consult the relevant metropolitan authority planning portal. For example, Birmingham City Council planning guidance is available at https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/planning.
ProHort prepares technically robust Biodiversity Enhancement Plans tailored to metropolitan regeneration contexts. We ensure biodiversity measures are measurable, policy compliant and fully integrated with architecture, infrastructure and public realm design to support planning approval.
