As Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) reaches its six-month milestone it is clearly now an opportunity for land owners to diversify and embrace Natural Capital. Amid the increasing demand for new housing and pressure on local authorities following the newly-formed government and Chancellor’s announcement, the principles of BNG are more pertinent than ever. At CSX we believe it’s crucial that collaboration is needed between farmers and developers to achieve BNG, emphasising that now is the pivotal time to diversify and embrace Natural Capital, off-site provision and offsetting.
As many digested the effects of the King’s Speech, there was once again a clear directional shift to development, growing the economy and preserving the environment. Though in many aspects recent statements are clear indicators of a country willing to do whatever it takes, the practical application of changes to policies and the outworking of them will take time and careful consideration when it comes to implementation.
BNG aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than before a development takes place. This can be difficult to quantify without considering the opportunities of both on-site and off-site options. On-site BNG refers to improving habitats within a development’s red line boundary, while off-site BNG involves enhancing biodiversity on land outside of the project’s boundary, often through partnerships with farmers, landowners, or land managers.
The BNG hierarchy expects that where possible, developers should aim to deliver the BNG requirement on-site through an improved habitat within the development. However, delivering both the development and the required biodiversity improvement can be challenging and often impacts the commercial viability of a site. As such, off-site provision becomes a practical tool, involving long-term commitments to improving biodiversity on appropriate land.
The provision of BNG off-site involves financially rewarding a farmer, landowner, or land manager for improving the biodiversity on their land holding for at least 30 years. A process that has a prescribed structure and guidance as laid out by the Government’s DEFRA department.
The challenges involved
Now that we’re six months on from BNG becoming mandatory stakeholders are beginning to recognise that long-term management and holistic strategic planning is required for making a development sustainable. Previous landscaping design processes may for example not be sufficient as a stand-alone practice to reach the mandatory BNG requirements.
Developers must determine and evidence a project’s final BNG value using the government specified Defra biodiversity metric in their planning applications if they want their plans to move swiftly through the planning process. This metric assigns unit values to vegetation habitats based on their type, condition and extent. Once this value is determined for the existing site, the proposed development and any residual off-site unit purchases the local authority can determine whether the BNG 10% uplift requirement has been met. Four steps can be used within the mitigation hierarchy – avoidance, minimisation, on-site restoration, and off-site compensation guiding developers to achieve the required net gain.
With the government’s housing targets looming and the BNG market now rapidly beginning to establish itself, securing planning permission with on-site delivery as best practice, and off-site offsetting when needed will prove essential in meeting the government’s ambitious targets.
Time to diversify
In the current political climate, with increased expectations for greenbelt development, diversifying and embracing BNG offsetting is imperative. As developers take stock and look to deliver new building on available land, it is essential for developers, landowners, and farmers to communicate and collaborate to support the preservation, protection and enhancement of the environment.
With farmers adjusting to the new and reduced agricultural financial support mechanisms since Brexit and the decision to leave the EU, it is an appropriate time for farmers to look at alternative income streams. Almost all farms have a proportion of land which can be difficult to productively farm. It is these pieces of land which would be more suited to environmental schemes to further biodiversity such as BNG, with a combined focus on sustainable longevity.
CSX research shows that ten per cent of farmland could be repurposed for BNG accreditation. Accepting payments from the private sector for carbon and biodiversity improvements is a completely new market for the farmer and, though this can make it difficult to understand and navigate an acceptable return, CSX can support navigating those intricacies, ensuring the delivery of a scheme is incentivised and cost-effective.
CSX’s message to farmers
As the world and the ways that land is managed continue to adapt, there is a genuine opportunity to embrace change. BNG diversifies a farmer’s income stream, while relying on their knowledge and expertise of sustainable land management practices to better protect and improve the environment.
Our background is in landowning and management; therefore, we are here to guide farmers through the complexities of BNG offsetting, empowering farmers and land managers to make more informed decisions about what works best for their land and income.
Using a set of standardised contracts provides a step-by-step guide to take the worry out of wondering how to navigate the BNG process. Over many years, we have explored the least taxing processes to give back to the farming community. Now is the time to embrace BNG and claim a stake in the changing landscape and manifesto which makes this a ‘mission for the people.’
Datasets, accumulated by CSX, will be crucial in making sure processes and guidance are accurately and reliability accounted for in the quality of biodiversity and carbon offsetting for future builds and changes to the landscape.
Supporting the planning process
As we urge those from the farming community to speak up and take hold of opportunities anew, we also spend time engaging with local planning authorities to support a scheme’s approval. With a lack of resource and an evident knowledge gap in how to identify suitable offsetting opportunities, developers must recognise that BNG is essential at the beginning of a masterplan, not just when an application comes to halt in the system.
If we want to see restoration take place for habitats and nature, a collaborative effort between cross-disciplined professionals must take place. As worlds collide, both old and new, it is important to remember that BNG is not just a resource, it is a recovery tool to put nature and wildlife back at the centre of development.
As the UK navigates the complexities of development and environmental preservation, collaborative efforts between developers, farmers and landowners will be crucial in achieving meaningful and lasting biodiversity net gain.