Planning ahead for Bio Net Gain requirements

Bio Net Gain was the subject under discussion at the latest meeting of the York & North Yorkshire Property Forum.

Held at the York Biotech Campus at Sand Hutton, just outside of York, attendees heard fascinating talks from Hannah Turner, Savills’ Director of Rural Estate Management and Fera Science’s Dr Glyn Jones, Head of Science (Plant).

Bio Net Gain (BNG) refers to the overall positive impact on the environment and biodiversity and is a hot topic in the development industry at the moment due to new planning requirements coming in soon.

It involves assessing and quantifying the ecological value of an area before any development takes place and then implementing measures to ensure that the project not only minimizes harm but also provides a net positive outcome.

From November 2023 the calculation of BNG will be a requirement for larger sites and from April 2024 it will also apply to small sites. This session will consider what BNG means to you and your business, how you can calculate the biodiversity net gain of a project and what you may need to do to be compliant with the new regulations.