From November this year, new rules under the Environment Act 2021 mean most new developments will have to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain. This means they need to protect or improve some areas of natural habitat. The RSPB want to make sure this new system delivers as much as possible for wildlife. We can help appropriate developments with their nature plans, including providing Biodiversity Units from high-quality projects.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Natural England have published a Biodiversity Metric calculation tool for developers to use to work out what they need to do under the new system.
For a simple introduction to Biodiversity Net Gain by Natural England, click here.
Natural England said in February 2023 that this new approach to development could contribute more than £130M each year for new nature projects. To be effective and to make sure new developments do deliver for nature, it is critical that existing environmental protections are followed alongside this new requirement.
The RSPB manages 116 nature reserves in England covering 62,600 hectares. From coastal cliffs to ancient woodland, these wild landscapes are home to thousands of different species. To help your development achieve Biodiversity Net Gain, we have high quality biodiversity units available for sale from a variety of habitats across England, which we can provide for appropriate developments. We can also help you assess the habitat value of your sites and write biodiversity gain plans.
The new RSPB Conservation Investment team have developed a new code of practice to help shape projects so they work for developers and for wildlife. This includes a set of ten principles that must underpin systems like Biodiversity Net Gain.
These principles have been created in line with the views of industry experts such as Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) and The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM). We will use these principles to help make sure any projects we collaborate on will really make a difference to our natural world.
If you are interested in discussing the purchase or development of RSPB biodiversity units and working together, please get in touch with us for an informal chat to see if we could help.
The net gain requirement in Scotland is called Biodiversity Enhancement, and the Scottish Government is still developing guidance on how the system will work. If you are interested in working together on Biodiversity Enhancement, please contact: Development.rspb@rspb.org.uk
Biodiversity is the variety of life on earth, including us. It is the animals, plants and all the other lifeforms which interact and depend on each other to survive.
