- Plans to help wildlife thrive while delivering homes the
country needs
- New developments to deliver a ‘biodiversity net gain’ for the
environment
- Key step to meeting 25-year Environment Plan goal to manage
land sustainably and create better places for people to live and
work
Government proposals to place the environment
at the heart of new development have been unveiled by Environment
Secretary .
In plans published today for consultation,
developers could be required to deliver a ‘biodiversity net gain’ when
building new housing or commercial development – meaning habitats
for wildlife must be enhanced and left in a measurably better
state than they were pre-development.
The proposed new rules require developers to
assess the type of habitat and its condition before submitting
plans. Carparks and industrial sites would usually come lower on
this scale, while more natural grasslands and woodlands would be
given a much higher ranking for their environmental
importance.
Developers would then be required to
demonstrate how they are improving biodiversity – such as through
the creation of green corridors, planting more trees, or forming
local nature spaces. Green improvements on site would be
encouraged, but in the rare circumstances where they are not
possible the consultation proposes to charge developers a levy to
pay for habitat creation or improvement elsewhere.
These proposals would help to achieve better
outcomes for nature and people with the millions of pounds
invested in environmental impact mitigation by developers every
year. While some developers have already been following a
biodiversity net gain approach voluntarily, the proposed
standardised, mandatory approach would give them clarity and
certainty on how to improve the environment through development,
while also considering whether any sites – such as small and
brownfield sites – should be exempt from the rules. It will still
deliver the homes the country needs – making the Government’s
vision of delivering 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s a
reality – at the same time as contributing to the goal of passing
on our environment in a better condition.
Today’s action is the first step in the
government’s ambition to embed the wider principle of
‘environmental net gain’ in development, to drive measurable
improvements for all aspects of the environment such as air
quality, flood defences and clean water. The government will now
work collaboratively with developers, water companies, tourism
services, energy providers and waste specialists to better
understand how profitable development can be a driving force of
environmental improvement.
Environment Secretary, , said:
“Our commitment to protecting and enhancing
our natural world can go hand in hand with our ambition to build
more high quality homes.
“Mandating biodiversity net gain puts the
environment at the heart of planning and development. This will
not only create better places for people to live and work, but
ensure we leave our environment in a better state for future
generations”.
In addition to upholding planning protections
for sensitive sites such as ancient woodland and sites of special
scientific interest, the consultation builds on the experiences
of local authorities and developers who have already adopted net
gain approaches.
This includes the Berkley Group who have committed to creating a
net biodiversity gain within all their development sites and are
currently working with London Wildlife Trust to build Kidbrooke
Village in East London – a new 4,800 home village development
that contains 20 hectares of parkland.
Elsewhere, Warwickshire County Council have
trialled and implemented a system to ensure all developments lead
to no net loss of biodiversity, with each development preparing a
Biodiversity Impact Assessment prior to building.
Dr Julia Baker, Biodiversity Technical
Specialist for Balfour Beatty, said:
“Balfour Beatty strongly support the concept
of Biodiversity Net Gain and the government’s 25 Year Environment
Plan for sustainable use of land. We are leading the way in
developing new standards, continually seeking ways for our
construction projects to generate Net Gains in Biodiversity, in
ways that leave wider social and environmental benefits.
“Early planning allows for Biodiversity Net
Gain measures to be integrated into the design, programme and
budget of schemes, reducing the cost and ultimately generating
long-term benefits for nature and society.”
The consultation launched today plays a vital
role in helping the government fulfil its aim to use and manage
land sustainably, as outlined in the 25 Year Environment
Plan.
It follows the launch of the revised National
Planning Policy Framework in July which outlined stronger
protection for the environment, ensuring wildlife thrives at the
same time as addressing the need for new homes
