With Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) coming into legislation in 2023 we thought it might be useful to provide some information about the new regulations and how they affect open space management. With some local authorities already adopting the principles of BNG, it’s important to appoint a management company who can fulfil the 30-year requirements.
What is Biodiversity Net Gain?
BNG regulations mean a new development must leave the environment in a demonstrably better condition than before. A BNG metric is utilised to score a development and ensure a minimum 10% biodiversity improvement. BNG plans are subject to a 30-year covenant of ongoing maintenance, monitoring and evaluation to ensure the delivery of targeted habitat conditions.
What action do developers need to take?
Research from Property Week’s RESi 360 Conference 2022 showed that 41% of its audience were unaware of the new responsibilities, and only 11% felt they were prepared for the new regulations*. Elsewhere, it’s been noted in research by HBF and others that two of the biggest areas developers are concerned with are delivering the 30-year requirements and the availability of appropriate management bodies. It’s important to understand the regulations and what impact they will have. Housebuilders should ensure they are working with an established management company that can demonstrate the necessary expertise and experience to fulfil the long-term, mandatory requirements.
What about the long-term open space management implications?
Once a development is complete developers will need to handover the open spaces to an organisation who can fulfil the ongoing obligations on their behalf. It’s important to choose an established open space management company with the in-house expertise to deliver the monitoring and reporting requirements of BNG for the 30-year covenant.
What do Meadfleet offer for Biodiversity Net Gain management?
- A perpetuity, adoption model exceeding the 30-year requirement either funded by annual customer contributions or a commuted sum option
- In-house ecologists trained in BNG calculation metric and delivery
- Feedback on proposed layout and management plans
- Long-term, adaptive management for BNG both on and off-site
- Experience in enhancing, monitoring, and managing open spaces to increase, protect and promote wildlife habitats
- Award-winning biodiversity campaign
- Customer and community engagement to educate and positively promote biodiversity.
Visit our dedicated BNG page to learn more or feel free to get in touch if you have any queries.
About Meadfleet
Meadfleet is a multi-award-winning, carbon neutral management company founded over 25 years ago. Responsible for over 350 developments throughout England and Wales, we take a sustainable approach to open space management. Our Ecology and Conservation team ensure areas are managed to encourage biodiversity and we are partnered with leading insect charity Buglife, to help make the open spaces we care for more pollinator friendly. In 2021 we were awarded first place in the Pollinator category at CIRIA’s BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards for their Bee Friendly campaign.
Appointed by housebuilders and local authorities and with a portfolio of more than 350 developments, all with a variety of requirements that include full infrastructure, complex sustainable urban drainage systems, biodiverse species habitat, street lighting, grass care, shrubbery, woodlands, wildflower meadows and play equipment, Meadfleet are the professional and sustainable solution to open space management.
Established in 1995, we are specialists in residential open space management and our aim is to protect and enhance these areas long into the future. We are committed to providing an excellent service and continually improving our environmental credentials, demonstrated by certification in BS EN ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management and BS EN ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management.
We are delighted to be a Carbon Neutral Company, the first in our sector to achieve this. As one of the most experienced and trusted open space management companies in the UK, we take our role seriously. We believe taking climate action is important for companies like Meadfleet and the housebuilders and local authorities we work with.
We’ve signed up to the United Nations (UN) Climate Neutral Now initiative, launched in 2015 to increase climate action. We have pledged to measure, reduce and offset our carbon emissions with carbon credits every year. What’s more, we’ve also chosen to obtain carbon offsetting credits, equivalent to more than our estimated total emissions since Meadfleet first began in 1995.
Meadfleet employ experienced regional managers to proactively manage open spaces and respond to customer queries. As voluntary members of The Property Ombudsman Scheme, we offer our customers access to free, independent redress should this be required.
At Meadfleet we’re passionate about keeping open spaces safe and attractive and also believe it’s important to manage and enhance areas for the benefit of wildlife. We run regular customer initiatives such as giveaways of wildlife friendly seeds, bee hotels and bird nesting boxes. Our Bee Friendly campaign was awarded top prize in the pollinator category at CIRIA’s Big Biodiversity Challenge awards.
Meadfleet’s in-house Ecology and Conservation Team is at the centre of our business culture, leading our approach to open space maintenance. With experience in creating and managing a wide variety of habitats we ensure areas are maintained sensitively and appropriately and oversee continual biodiversity improvements. We understand the additional requirements of Biodiversity Net Gain, both in relation to planning and the 30-year covenant. Meadfleet are uniquely placed in the market to provide the management and maintenance skills required to ensure delivery of the ongoing requirements of biodiversity net gain on residential schemes in perpetuity.
We know that a good quality, natural environment will enhance a local neighbourhood, improve well-being and contribute to improved house values.