Biodiversity Net Gain
Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) as set out in the Environment Act (2021) is likely to become law in 2023. This requires developers to deliver a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain as a condition of their planning permission. Of interest to farmers and landowners, is the fact that habitats can be located away from the development, thereby attracting private finance to manage land in a way that enhances biodiversity.
By carrying out an assessment now -baselining your land -any Biodiversity Units created through environmental management may be either banked or sold to a developer looking to offset. Banking units will provide a readily available and frictionless supply for the rapidly growing demand.
We use the official biodiversity metric to calculate how a change in land management will enhance the biodiversity value of a site(valued in Biodiversity Units BUs), following this process:
- Initial desktop assessment to find ownership, location, type, size, condition and strategic significance
- Baseline using Metric 3.1 survey
- Environmental management options to arrive at Biodiversity Net Gain in BUs
- Draw-up Conservation Covenant to ensure 30-year validity, monitoring and reporting
- Sale via Register or direct to Developer
Enhancement is reported through three distinct unit types:
- Areas -planting a woodland or sowing a wildflower meadow
- Linear -hedgerows and lines of trees
- Linear -rivers and streams.
Managing land for biodiversity need not mean taking land out of production, there may be considerable headroom to achieve net gains using targeted environmental management and actions may be implemented in one or more location. Simple projects can involve the creation of a new habitat or improving existing ones. More complex management may involve large multi-habitat, or re-wilding sites on which the units of biodiversity created may be used by several developers or banked.
If you think you have suitable land and are willing to implement a 30 year conservation project, resulting in biodiversity benefits, then contact us with basic information about the land. We will carry out an initial evaluation and discuss the options for your next steps towards creating saleable Biodiversity Units, listing on our natural capital register and becoming an offset provider.
Woodland Carbon Code
Woodland Creation is becoming more important in the Governments strategy, but again it requires careful consideration within your farming enterprise. Early planning is fundamental to the interaction of these new schemes, particularly with a view to any Carbon sequestering or trading.
The flagship scheme for woodland creation is the English Woodland Creation Offer, a new standard for support to create woodland as small as one hectare. With Woodland Creation Planning Grants available to identify the constraints, opportunities and gather information necessary for registration to the Woodland Carbon Code, robust carbon standards are established to gain access to private funding and the Government’s Woodland Carbon Guarantee. Coupled with support for capital items to establish the wood, maintenance, infrastructure and various additional contributions, carbon offers an added dimension to land management and private investment opportunities.
Public and Private Finance
The forthcoming Green Finance Strategy (expected late 2022) will consolidate the position of private funding within the farming enterprise and relation to Environmental Land Management schemes, but farmers are being encouraged to think differently and the Government want to ensure that all environmental land management schemes are fully compatible with the blending of public and private finance, and that public money does not “crowd out” private investment.
Speak with David directly by calling 01833 638094 or drop him an email at david.hall@addisons-surveyors.co.uk and he will get back to you promptly