Biodiversity

While we await the government’s response to consultation results, it’s a useful period in which to review current site plans, to ensure future compliance and secure a valuable approach to sustainability.

When you think of native British creatures, you might think of hedgehogs, red squirrels, or even deer. However, the Great Crested Newt – while perhaps not as cute – is vitally important and a protected species.

An Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) will help you to ensure work on your development is done according to all the rules and regulations by working with your contractors. They can make sure work is carried out efficiently and reduce the likelihood of work being held up.

Most development work requires some form of borrowing to get it off the ground, usually in the form of private investment. But did you know that showcasing your commitment to biodiversity goes a long way when trying to attract private finance?

The discovery of invasive plant species on a development site can be great cause for concern for developers, with the potential to delay progress and result in high remediation costs.

Biodiversity Net Gain is a key consideration for developers. All new developments must leave the environment in a better condition than it was before. In fact, the Environmental Bill currently sets the compulsory net gain at a 10% increase, secured for at least 30 years.

Defra will soon open the second round of the Landscape Recovery scheme when they’ll welcome bids from farmers and land managers who want to take a large-scale, long-term approach to producing environmental and climate goods on their land.

If you’ve ever filled in a planning application before, you know there are a lot of conditions and regulations that need to be met in order for the application to be successful. In fact, if you get it wrong your application could be rejected purely because you didn’t include certain information, meaning you have to start the whole process again. It’s one of the reasons we recommend having a professional help you complete any planning application paperwork before filing it with the council. But for developers or those applying to build on new land, there is one area of planning applications that are often missed. Biodiversity.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements will come into force in November this year and will require developers to deliver a BNG of at least 10% on new developments.
The steps required to achieve this will vary significantly between projects. For example, a site with relatively low biodiversity, such as arable farmland, that is being developed into a small housing development, will likely be able to reach the threshold on-site through gardens, trees, bodies of water and open spaces on the development. Whereas a site that has a higher baseline level of biodiversity may need to purchase off-site biodiversity net gain units.

When you start a discussion about biodiversity, the topic of climate change will inevitably come up, and pretty quickly. That’s not a coincidence – by now it’s widely recognised and accepted that biodiversity and climate change are heavily interconnected. You really can’t address one without considering the other. As a team of ecologists, environmental scientists and geographers, we understand the importance of protecting and preserving the biodiversity of the planet. So for us, the question becomes how can we fight climate change by encouraging and protecting local biodiversity, and help our customers do the same?

On 26th January 2023, the government published updated details on its plans for the growth and rollout of its Environmental Land Management Schemes (ELMS). After some confusion towards the end of 2022 regarding whether the initiative was going to continue, Defra says there are schemes and grants available for everyone and that the process is now much more straightforward, flexible and workable.

Two of the most pressing global issues are the need to find reliable sources of clean energy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and the growing urgency to protect wildlife and ecosystems. This raises the question of whether both aims are achievable. Indeed, with the spread of wind and solar farms, along with other forms of renewables, comes the need for land and for developments which may adversely impact the biodiversity of the area. However, while doubts have been raised that clean energy development and biodiversity protection can co-exist, there are emerging solutions that can allow both to flourish.

Introduction
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements will come into force in November this year and will require developers to deliver a BNG of at least 10% on new developments.
The government published its response to the BNG regulation and implementation consultation in late February.
The consultation covered three main areas:
- The scope of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (TCPA) requirement and proposed exemptions, development within statutory designed sites and irreplicable habitats
- Applying BNG to different types of development such as phased development, small sites and NSIPs
- How mandatory BNG will work for TCPA development

As the population of the world increases, and biodiversity is challenged by new developments, farmland habitat is perhaps one of the most important environments for the future stability of our ecosystem.

Many businesses have been working to accommodate the many changes to rules and regulations before the Environment Act comes fully into effect in 2023. New regulations outlined by schemes such as biodiversity net gain, for example, have several advantages for business owners who own land. However, business owners need to be prepared for the oncoming changes.