Happy Biodiversity Day – let’s talk sustainable planning and Biodiversity Net Gain!

As always, TerraQuest and Planning Portal want to make the complicated simple for all our stakeholders, removing any barriers which might prevent sustainable planning and building. 

With this in mind, we’ve taken every aspect of sustainable planning – from the legislation to the funding, the key concepts to vital project advice – and condensed it into one simple, easy-to-navigate content hub – the Sustainability Hub. 

Designed to empower homeowners and professionals with the tools and knowledge to integrate sustainability into their projects, the hub features a wealth of information and guidance, supporting local authorities and homeowners in their efforts to prioritise sustainability and biodiversity. 

Visit the Hub to find out more.

The context of UK biodiversity planning regulations

Today marks the International Day for Biological Diversity. In a statement on their website, the United Nations remind us that “despite all our technological advances, we are completely dependent on healthy and vibrant ecosystems for our water, food, medicines, clothes, fuel, shelter and energy.”

This humbling sentiment puts the issue of environmental preservation into sharp perspective. Given that the construction industry is a significant contributor to national emissions, we keenly feel our responsibility in helping mitigate the negative environmental impact of our sectors in any way we can.

Today feels like the perfect opportunity to reflect on UK planning’s most important biodiversity measure this year – Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).

It’s fair to say that the bold regulations, which came into force in February, have shaken the built environment nationally, with ‘small site’ applications also being subject to the new specifications from 2 April 2024.

As reported by the Guardian in February, Natalie Duffus, a researcher from the University of Oxford, labelled BNG “one of the most ambitious schemes we’ve seen” internationally for biodiversity preservation and habit restoration.

Planning Portal are proud champions of Biodiversity Net Gain, keen to do whatever we can to encourage understanding and implementation of the vital legislation.

With this in mind, we facilitate a range of resources, in collaboration with our trusted partners Joe’s Blooms and Environment Bank, to help demystify BNG and help our stakeholders meet their obligations:

• Detailed Biodiversity Net Gain legislation guidance
• Joe’s Blooms digital Biodiversity Net Gain compliance tool
• Joe’s Blooms webinar: Exploring BNG and introducing Joe’s Blooms digital tool
• Environment Bank webinar: Streamlining s106 Agreements – Benefits for LPAs, Developers, and Communities

But such radical regulatory change doesn’t come without its challenges. A report published by the National Audit Office (NAO) on 17 May claims that the speed of BNG launching has led to ‘significant risks to effectiveness’, given that it was implemented ‘before having all the elements in place that it needs to ensure statutory BNG is a success in the long term’.

These concerns have been echoed by Chief Executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Victoria Hills; ‘Our members in public and private sectors said that they felt unprepared for Biodiversity Net Gain in the lead up to its implementation… planning services have not been given sufficient guidance, advice, and support, and lack the staff and skills to avoid delays to an already stretched planning system’.

Clearly, the complexity of sustainability concepts within the built environment can prevent effective, widespread uptake and implementation.

Our Sustainability Hub is designed to simplify and explain key sustainability concepts, making sustainable planning and building more accessible for everyone.