BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN
We've just added seventeen BNG Habitat Banks to the biodiversity gain sites register
This month, Environment Bank has successfully added seventeen new BNG Habitat Banks to Natural England’s biodiversity gain site register.
Located across England, these sixteen Habitat Banks cover almost 900 acres in total and have generated over 2,000 Biodiversity Units between them.
Our additions now represent more than 40% of Natural England’s entire biodiversity gain sites register – making us far and away the nation’s leading BNG Habitat Bank provider.
We've already increased the BNG register’s listing by over 70%, and we’re excited to say that we have over a dozen more sites to add to the register very soon.
What we've achieved
Our BNG Habitat Banks added to the biodiversity gain sites register in 2024:
NORTH
- Two BNG sites at Horwich Habitat Bank, Greater Manchester
- Heighington Habitat Bank, County Durham
- Bingfield Habitat Bank, Northumberland
- Ripon Habitat Bank, North Yorkshire
- Hoscar Habitat Bank, Lancashire
MIDLANDS
- Martley Habitat Bank, Worcestershire
- Cornwell Habitat Bank, Oxfordshire
- Minting Habitat Bank, Lincolnshire
- Kilby Habitat Bank, Leicestershire
- Ludlow Habitat Bank, Shropshire
SOUTH
- Emberton Habitat Bank, Buckinghamshire
- Blackboys Habitat Bank, East Sussex
- Ardingly Habitat Bank, West Sussex
- Witchampton Habitat Bank, Dorset
- Puddington Habitat Bank, Devon
- Heacham Habitat Bank, Norfolk
Why this matters
Under the Environment Act 2021, almost all new development projects in England must now compensate for any biodiversity loss and achieve a 10% net gain in biodiversity overall in order for them to be granted planning permission by the local authority.
This policy of biodiversity net gain (BNG) ensures that new development in England causes no further net loss to biodiversity. The additional 10% required also allows us to start replacing what’s already been lost in the past.
To be granted planning permission, developers must submit a biodiversity gain plan to the local planning authority (LPA) showing how the development intends to achieve its BNG.
Developers can do this by creating new habitats at the site of development, but this is often not possible. Their next option is to purchase Biodiversity Units from a dedicated BNG site – like the Habitat Banks we’ve created across the country.
For a developer to satisfy the local authority, any off-site Biodiversity Units they’ve purchased must have come from a BNG site that’s listed on Natural England’s biodiversity gain sites register.
Why the register is important
To be added to the register, a BNG site must have a legal agreement in place (either a conservation covenant or s106) to make use of the land bound to BNG for the mandatory 30-year period. Once a legal agreement is secured, the site can be submitted to Natural England who review it and decide whether it can be added to the register.
This makes the register an essential resource for developers who need to purchase verified Biodiversity Units that are capable of delivering the required biodiversity gains and satisfying their BNG planning requirements.
Each BNG site on the register has a unique reference number. This number must be included in the development’s biodiversity gain plan that’s submitted to the local authority.
This means the register is also important because it allows Natural England to keep track of all the Biodiversity Units being allocated to each development. This helps avoid any Biodiversity Units being assigned to more than one development by mistake which would prevent us from delivering a net gain to biodiversity as the policy intends.
BNG policy is designed to actively help halt and reverse biodiversity loss in England – offering an effective blueprint for similar policies to be implemented around the world – and we’re proud to be playing a major role in delivering such an essential policy.
What’s next
These seventeen registered sites are part of our expanding national network of BNG Habitat Banks. Our other sites are all due to receive a conservation covenant or s106 agreement in the near future, this will allow them to also be added to the register.
Altogether, our sites cover a total of more than 2,000 acres and have generated more than 5,000 Biodiversity Units as of December 2024 – and our network is still growing.