Biodiversity Net Gain Planning for the New UK Housebuilding Scheme

The newly elected UK Chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has unveiled plans to jumpstart the country’s infrastructural development goals. Speaking in London in her first speech as Chancellor, Ms. Reeves highlighted the Labour Government’s manifesto pledge to bring back compulsory UK housebuilding targets with plans to construct 1.5 million houses over the next five years. This is part of the government’s strategy to address the housing crisis in the UK with a balanced mix of affordable housing for the populace and homes for social rent.

As the UK works towards its ambitious housing targets amid calls for sustainable housing solutions, the incorporation of Biodiversity Net Gain Planning into the latest UK housebuilding project is a significant leap in ensuring that new developments contribute positively to the natural environment. This aligns with the principles of the National Planning Integration Policy and the Biodiversity Net Gain planning practice guidance, on the essential role biodiversity plays in sustainable housing.

Understanding the Land Use Classifications

Amidst Labour’s call for the need of urgent planning reform, the Chancellor has also announced the government’s intention to urge local councils and planning authorities to review and revise Green Belt boundaries while prioritising brownfield and Grey belt land for housing development. This raises significant concerns about the effect on the local flora and fauna. Redrawing green belt boundaries may lead to the development of previously protected natural habitats, resulting in habitat loss and fragmentation.

Green Belt: Protected areas around cities designed to prevent urban sprawl, preserve nature, and provide recreational spaces. Many green belt areas serve as crucial wildlife corridors and refuges, supporting a diverse range of species.

Brownfield: Previously developed land that is not currently in use, which may be contaminated but has potential for redevelopment.

Grey Belt: Intermediate zones between urban and rural areas, often comprising underutilised or semi-developed land, suitable for certain types of development.

Adopting Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) strategies in these developments can ensure that any biodiversity loss is compensated with equal or greater ecological gains. At Tunley Environmental, our Biodiversity services are pivotal in helping developers achieve their goal of 10% BNG. Our services encompass a wide range of ecological assessments, habitat creation strategies and ongoing monitoring to ensure compliance with BNG regulations.

BNG Regulation and Compliance

The regulatory framework for BNG planning in the UK is primarily governed by the Environment Act 2021 and the subsequent regulations that came into effect in 2024. The Environment Act 2021 introduced a mandatory requirement for developments to deliver at least a 10% biodiversity net gain. This landmark legislation made BNG a legal obligation for all planning permissions granted in England, with a few exemptions for small sites. The Act strengthened the legal duty for public bodies to conserve and enhance biodiversity, introduced new biodiversity reporting requirements for local authorities, and mandated the creation of Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) as spatial strategies for nature. The BNG requirement became mandatory for major developments on February 12, 2024, and for small sites from April 2, 2024. Major developments subject to BNG include those with more than 10 dwellings, buildings with a floorspace of 1,000 square meters or more, sites with an area of 1 hectare or more, waste developments and mineral extraction projects. Learn more about the new Biodiversity regulation by reading our article: BNG Regulations Explained.

BNG Planning for Large-Scale Housebuilding

Our piece, The Impact of BNG Regulations on Housing Development, offers insight into how BNG assessment can be adopted by stakeholders in the housing sector. With the introduction of the BNG Metric 4.0 tool, it is now mandatory for developers to take Biodiversity into account throughout the whole project lifecycle, from the initial phases of site selection and design to the finished landscaping. This has prompted the development of creative solutions, including the use of sustainable drainage systems, animal corridors and green roofs. This initiative also extends to large-scale, government-led housing development projects like those proposed by the Labour government.

Opportunities and Challenges

Opportunities

• Green Spaces and Wildlife Corridors

Incorporating parks, gardens and green corridors within housing developments supports local wildlife and provides essential green spaces for residents. The BNG planning could also establish wildlife corridors to facilitate safe movement for animals between habitats, helping to maintain genetic diversity and ecosystem health.

• Urban Greenery

Utilising building surfaces like rooftop and vertical gardens for green spaces could contribute to urban biodiversity and improved air quality by creating vital habitats for diverse plant and animal species. In larger spaces like parks, there is an opportunity to be deliberate with this approach while maintaining their usability for community and wellbeing benefits. Local authorities own various types of land across their jurisdictions, presenting opportunities for habitat enhancement around built assets and open land.

• Community Engagement and Education

This project presents an opportunity to educate the wider public on biodiversity. For example, grass may be mown less frequently to allow other plants and flowers to grow and weeds can be seen as beneficial rather than inherently 'bad'. Small spaces can be maximised to create microclimates with a huge impact and the benefits of wild corners in gardens must be more widely understood.

Challenges

• Site Limitation

The obvious challenge will be site limitations – how to find a 10% gain on a site if there is not much space, especially in population-dense regions. Certain types of sites will be limited in what can be done due to contamination risks, such as petrol stations. There will be the option to create and enhance habitat elsewhere, but developers need to be aware that the further this is away from the original site, the lower its score will be worth.

• Public Perception

Another challenge is public perception. From an aesthetic perspective, people are now very used to seeing curated, manicured landscapes and moving away from this may jar with expectations. However, this is a step towards creating visually and seasonally pleasing designs that align with ecological needs.

The Bottom Line

The integration of BNG principles into the latest UK housebuilding initiative not only addresses the urgent need for housing but also ensures a commitment to enhancing biodiversity. This dual focus underscores the potential for sustainable development to reconcile the demands of growth with the imperatives of environmental protection.

The significance of implementing BNG in housing schemes extends beyond the immediate benefits to wildlife and ecosystems, projecting a broader impact on societal attitudes towards conservation and sustainability.