We asked our Operations Director and Ecologist, Samantha Hursey, for her thoughts on the upcoming Biodiversity Net Gain regulations which will come in to law from November on all new developments.
What is Biodiversity Net Gain?
Biodiversity Net Gain is the hot topic of 2023 in the development industry. With the transition period ending in November, it becomes mandatory under The Environment Act 2021, affecting all housing and nationally significant infrastructure projects in England.
BNG is a potentially world leading initiative with the aim of creating a joined up, strategic nature recovery plan to leave the natural environment in a better state requiring a minimum 10% gain.
Why is Biodiversity Net Gain important?
As an ecologist having worked in the sector for over 10 years, both as a consultant working on planning applications and the management of open spaces on completed developments, I have witnessed the need for more longer-term solutions to mitigate the impact residential development has on the natural environment.
In my opinion Biodiversity Net Gain offers an opportunity to secure a more sustainable future with benefits going far beyond biodiversity and the creation and enhancement of habitats, including improvements in air quality, flood management, and soil stability. It also has the ability to bring everyone closer to nature, with diverse green spaces on their doorstep.
The new 30-year covenant ensures the long-term creation, enhancement and protection of these gains for biodiversity and far extend conditions previously put in place of 5-10 years typically. I would like to see future discussions on how this timeframe can be extended further to guarantee protection in perpetuity to ensure that habitats are not lost at the end of the 30-year period.
What are the challenges for developers?
With significant detail and guidance still missing and the deadline of November fast approaching this is creating uncertainty across the sector. Further information and thought is still required on a number of key areas to ensure that all stakeholders are ready for the implementation of the new rules, for example:
- The increased need for professional ecologists to undertake baseline assessments and reporting
- The resources and skill set of the local planning authorities to process the influx of detailed applications and enforce delivery with the existing planning enforcement regime
- The absence of potential for on-site BNG and penalties for creating off-site gains
- The availability of off-site land/units within the LA boundary
- Publication of the Secondary Legislation to provide greater clarity
With much detail still to be revealed, developers may find this leads to delays in planning applications with limited time to fully understand and implement the new requirements. Undoubtedly the new rules will create additional work for housebuilders in the planning and implementation stages of a development.
How do the regulations affect Meadfleet’s management of open space?
Meadfleet are already applying many of the principles of Biodiversity Net Gain on the developments we manage. Whilst it isn’t a requirement yet, myself and the rest of the Meadfleet Board feel a responsibility to ensure open spaces are managed to maximise biodiversity. We benchmark our developments and our Operations Team receive regular training to help them implement beneficial improvements.
Our Ecology and Conservation Manager and I have been attending training and seminars to keep up to date with BNG and will continue to do so as more information is available. We are working closely with our developer clients to support them through the changes. When the time comes for us to manage the open spaces, we have the expertise to ensure the successful management and monitoring required by the 30-year covenant plus our land-adopting model means we can ensure the long-term success of biodiversity on the developments we are appointed on.
Final Thoughts?
On a personal level I am excited to be part of this ground-breaking change to better ensure the protection and enhancement of our natural environment. However, there are many more questions that still need to be answered and the detail is not available, resources are not in place and so far, the approach to the enforcement of delivery is disappointing for me.
Biodiversity Net Gain is a hugely positive move in the right direction but it will be several years before all the information and processes are in place for BNG legislation to provide its full potential.
Samantha Hursey – Operations Director and Ecologist at Meadfleet Ltd
Samantha leads our Operations Team, ensuring Meadfleet’s developments across England and Wales are kept well-maintained and safe all year round whilst also maximising their biodiversity potential.
Please feel free to get in touch if you would like to discuss Biodiversity Net Gain in more detail. To arrange a call with Samantha email us at enquiries@meadfleet.co.uk or complete our contact form and we will be in touch.
Find out more about Biodiversity Net Gain
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.