BNG Delayed until January 2024

Defra has announced that it is going to delay the date of implementation of the mandatory requirement for all new development to provide a demonstrable 10% biodiversity net gain from November 2023 to January 2024. Exceptions to this include biodiversity net gain for small sites which will apply from April 2024, and implementation for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects is planned for 2025.

The delay is intended to allow the publication of the official guidance and regulations in November to give developers and Local Planning Authorities time to review and prepare for its official implementation in January. The secondary legislation for biodiversity net gain under the Environment Act 2021 was due to be published in the summer.

We understand that the guidance and regulations to be published in November will include:

• the statutory biodiversity metric, critical for calculating the correct biodiversity gain
• the draft biodiversity gain plan template, which will help developers prepare for what they will need to complete during the planning application stages
• the Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan template, which will set out how the improved significant on-site and off-site habitats will be managed for the long term
• a package of Biodiversity Net Gain guidance that sets out further advice for landowners, developers, and Local Planning Authorities around their role and responsibilities in delivering mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain

As part of this the Government have announced £15 million in funding to assist LPA’s in resourcing and preparing for the implementation but this is likely to fall significantly below what will be required. For more information on these changes please contact Tim Spicer