Biodiversity Net Gain

The government has updated the timetable for Mandatory BNG, which was set to commence in November 2023. Developers in England will now be required to deliver 10% “Biodiversity Net Gain” from January 2024 onwards when building new housing, industrial or commercial developments, meaning by law they must deliver a net positive for the local environment, for example, by creating new habitats and green spaces. Biodiversity Net Gain for small sites will still be applicable from April 2024, and implementation for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects remains planned for 2025.

The government had released a draft of the Biodiversity Net Gain Plan template and guidance:
This link: The biodiversity gain plan: draft template and guidance - Land use: policies and framework (blog.gov.uk) contains the following documents, which you can also download directly from the links below:

• BNG plan template (draft) – Biodiversity-gain-plan-template-draft-1.pdf (blog.gov.uk)
• Draft Guidance for developers – Biodiversity-gain-plan-template-draft-guidance-for-developers-1.pdf (blog.gov.uk)
• Draft guidance for local planning authorities – Biodiversity-gain-plan-template-draft-guidance-for-LPAs-1.pdf (blog.gov.uk)

You can read or download the Interim Planning Guidance Note for Suffolk and Natural England: BNG - an introduction to the benefits by clicking on the images below.