It is now two years since Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) became mandatory in England, and Meadfleet continue to work hard behind the scenes to ensure that we remain in the ideal position to support housing developers with all their on-site habitat requirements. Our Ecology Team have extensive experience and expertise in all aspects of ecological planning, surveying, monitoring and reporting on habitat creation and management, and our Operations Team are expertly equipped to ensure that all plans are delivered to meet BNG target habitats and conditions.
The Benefits of Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain
On-site areas managed to maximise biodiversity are essential to ensure that our towns and cities provide their residents with access to nature. Green spaces on housing developments should be designed and managed to deliver a mosaic of features to boost biodiversity and encourage interaction with the great outdoors, providing habitats and connectivity to benefit wildlife and open spaces to ensure our mental and physical wellbeing.
Meadfleet have been involved with a number of housing developers to provide input and advice on all aspects of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain.
Key things for developers to consider:
- Receive the best support from ecologists and landscape architects when planning the development to incorporate BNG – working together at the earliest possible stage is essential.
- Use of ecological baseline data to ensure that costs and delays are minimised – for example the retention and enhancement of existing habitats in a specific location on the site can be far more cost and time effective than habitat loss and replacement elsewhere on site.
- Use BNG as a positive selling tool – extol the values to health and wellbeing of living close to nature, and incorporate this into all promotional material.
- Ensure that the management company / party responsible for the delivery of BNG is capable of all aspects of site management and monitoring for the entire 30-year period.
Find out more about our management of Biodiversity Net Gain
Visit the Government’s guide to BNG
About Meadfleet
Meadfleet is a leading sustainable land-adopting management company, established in 1995. We manage over 350 developments and 40,000 residential properties across England and Wales, supported by in-house expertise and decades of experience.
Our in-house ecologists bring expertise in Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), and we offer management of BNG delivery both on managed developments and offsite areas, funded through customer contributions or commuted sums. Our adoption model relieves developers of ongoing liabilities and management costs.
The Meadfleet approach removes onerous responsibilities from homeowners while encouraging resident engagement in the stewardship of their local environment. We are members of The Property Ombudsman Scheme (TPOS), providing customers with free, independent redress if required. We also welcome and support resident groups, creating a valuable two-way dialogue that strengthens community involvement.
As a land-adopting management company, we take long-term responsibility for open space, building strong community relations and implementing ongoing management and improvement plans. Our independent, holistic approach ensures open spaces are managed sustainably for the benefit of residents, biodiversity, and the wider environment.