Information about biodiversity for landowners
New Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) regulations mean that nearly all new developments must be able to show that they have a positive effect on biodiversity.
Some of this can be achieved within developments themselves but the Government has also provided a way of ‘offsetting’ development by buying credits from approved nature sites.
Landowners can put forward sites for consideration. If sites are accepted they will be put on a register of sites from which developers can buy credits.
We are now inviting landowners to express an interest in offering suitable sites for offsetting to help deliver BNG in West Norfolk.
Call for Nature Sites
We have launched a Call for Nature Sites to landowners: we are seeking to identify potential land that could contribute to the recovery of nature through Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) offsetting in West Norfolk.
We are looking to hear from landowners, land managers, communities, businesses and conservation groups to put forward possible sites where new wildlife habitats could be created, contributing to nature recovery.
Once a list of sites and projects has been identified they will be advertised on our website and when a developer comes forward with a requirement for offsite units for a planning application they will be guided towards this list of sites.
Suitable sites
Sites of any size will be considered – there is no minimum or maximum size – and they do not have to be contained – village greens, hedgerows, field margins, watercourses and even verges could have potential as sites.
They can be on urban, semi-urban or rural land in West Norfolk, as long as managing for nature or biodiversity is not the current primary objective of the land. However, a site could be ‘renatured’, meaning that managing for biodiversity would become the primary objective of that land.
Sites could include land that is significant in joining up the landscape and strengthening the ecosystem, as well as recreation and amenity spaces.
Ideas could include creating wildflower meadows, new hedgerows, more natural rivers, planting trees, creating heathland or installing dewponds.
Preference will be given to sites that have the potential to buffer or expand existing habitats, for example, connecting woodland blocks, buffering ancient woodland and species-rich grassland creation, and sites that are in the same general area as the development or located in strategic areas identified as important for wildlife e.g. biodiversity opportunity areas, people and nature networks or forthcoming Local Nature Recovery Strategies. Sites must be committed to a 30-year management term.
Unsuitable sites
Sites cannot already be managed for nature and we cannot accept private gardens.
They cannot be created on land within internationally, nationally or locally protected sites that are already protected for wildlife value (unless part of a wider landscape scape project), and they must not be sites allocated in Local Plan/Neighbourhood Development Plan for housing or employment use.
Existing and new agri-environment schemes, such as Countryside Stewardship Scheme, may be suitable but they have rules around compliance and double funding so would need to be considered individually as to whether they could be eligible.
Submitting sites
We are looking to identify a range of sites/projects at varying scales. These may be well-developed project ideas or simply expressions of interest in putting forward a site.
The proposed management approach should work with local soil conditions and underlying geology, and should be sympathetic to the landscape character type(s) in which the site is located, the actions that can be taken for nature or to be more nature friendly, and the key sensitivities to consider in the area.
To submit a site, landowners and land managers (including farmers, estates, businesses, publicly-owned land and communities) are invited to submit an Expression of Interest providing details of their site, including its current uses, a map and any ideas and expectations for the site.
There is no formal commitment in submitting a form. This Call for Sites process is iterative and at this early stage is about identifying the potential opportunities that are available.
Submit an Expression of Interest form
Technical information
Any offsite BNG will need to be registered on the National Register. In order to register the offsite BNG a Habitats Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) and Statutory Metric will be required.
Once registered a site will be provided with a unique ID. This will be required alongside the submission of the HMMP and Metric by the developer to discharge any BNG condition attached to their planning permission.
Any offsite BNG will have a reporting required which will be agreed with the Local Planning Authority but will likely require monitoring reports within years 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30.
Where specific habitats are required (like-for-like/like-for-better) a developer will be directed to all offsite options that are known to provide those habitat units.
It will then be up to the developer and landowner to discuss legal agreements.
Council role
We will work with interested landowners and land managers to identify and advertise BNG opportunities. It will act as a ‘matchmaker’ to connect projects with developers requiring BNG units but it is not buying land for the BNG project.