William Eichler 11 January 2022

Developments expected to deliver 10% boost to biodiversity

Developments expected to deliver 10% boost to biodiversity  image

The Government has launched a consultation that aims to ensure wildlife can be better protected and enhanced in future developments.

The proposals set out in the Biodiversity Net Gain consultation will help communities, planners, developers and Local Planning Authorities ensure new developments are ‘nature positive’.

This means that developments will have to be delivered in a way which helps to reduce and restore any biodiversity loss during the building phase, and deliver a 10% boost to the local area’s biodiversity.

‘The pandemic has reinforced how much our homes, communities and outdoor spaces mean to us. Our commitment to protecting and enhancing our natural world can and must go hand in hand with our ambition to build more high quality homes,’ said environment minister, Rebecca Pow.

‘Our plans to make sure new developments better protect and enhance wildlife and nature will create better places for people to live and work, and it will ensure we leave our environment in a better state for future generations.’

The Government has also announced a new funding pot of over £4m to help Local Planning Authorities and other local authorities with planning oversight, to prepare for Biodiversity Net Gain which will become mandatory two years after Royal Assent of the Environment Act.

Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England, commented: ‘Investing in Nature’s recovery is a vital national priority and biodiversity net gain is an ambitious and innovative mechanism to help do it. It has the potential to bring real-life benefits, including funding for Nature’s recovery, in the process ensuring we leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was before.

‘It is important to remember, however, that the starting point is to avoid harm in the first place, moving to net gain arrangements only in cases where developments meet all other planning requirements. I’m delighted that Natural England’s technical expertise was able to shape this policy and look forward to using it to secure better outcomes for Nature, while streamlining the planning process.’

Commenting on the launch of the consultation, Tom Fyans, director of campaigns and policy at CPRE, the countryside charity, said: ‘We’re in the midst of climate, nature and public health emergencies, and they must be tackled together, in an integrated way. Done right, biodiversity net gain – the principle that all development should leave nature in a better state than before – could represent a big step forward.

‘But, as ever, the devil is in the detail. We need to be confident that the way the Environment Act is implemented through planning will genuinely work for nature, climate and people.

‘Critically, we also need to see irreplaceable habitats given greater protection – the grasslands, woodlands, hedgerows and watercourses that support so much nature. Creating new and better spaces for wildlife, for example through Nature Recovery Networks, is a vital next step. Without adequate protection for what we already have, nature will not get the help it needs to recover.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Part Time Finance Administrator

Essex County Council
Up to £25081.00 per annum + Pro Rata
Part Time Finance AdministratorPermanent, Part Time£25,081 per annum, full time equivalentLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Senior Customer Services Adviser (Housing Repairs

Mansfield District Council
£28,598 - £33,699 per annum
Mansfield is a town of towns at the centre of things in Nottinghamshire - a place of many strong connections Mansfield, Nottinghamshire
Recuriter: Mansfield District Council

No Wrong Door Deputy Manager

North Yorkshire Council
From £47,181 up to £51,356 per annum pro rata
We’re looking for a passionate, driven, and dynamic professional to join our management team within our innovative No Wrong Door (NWD) service. Scarborough, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Senior Resource Centre Worker

North Yorkshire Council
£34,434 - £38,220 per annum pro rata
You will work closely with families and other professionals to ensure that you have sound knowledge of the children you are caring for Morton on Swale, Northallerton
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council

Social Worker

North Yorkshire Council
£38,220 - £42,839 per annum, pro rata
Our Family Assessment and Support Teams you will work with a range of children and their families, carers and networks. Selby, North Yorkshire
Recuriter: North Yorkshire Council
Linkedin Banner