 New national rules are on the way that mean developers will need to leave nature better than they found it – and Somerset Council is seeking your views on how we introduce them to the county.
New government Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) planning legislation, expected to come into force in January next year, means planning applications for new developments in England must leave nature better off than before, and create new habitats and green spaces to compensate for the ones they are eliminating as part of the build.
Developers will be encouraged to make nature improvements on the proposed development site first. If this is not possible, then in areas outside the site, in places that are strategically important to the local area. As a last resort, developers can buy statutory credits from the government to fund habitat creation elsewhere.
What is BNG and why is it important?
From January 2024, planning applications submitted for new developments in England will be required to achieve at least 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
BNG is an approach to development, and/or land management, that aims to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was before. It's intended to deliver measurable improvements for biodiversity by creating or enhancing habitats in association with development.
For an overview of BNG, view the British Standards Institutions’ (BSI) Little Book of Biodiversity Net Gain or watch Natural England's Introduction to Biodiversity Net Gain on YouTube below:
 Note, there have been updates since this film was made. The Environment Act 2021 now brings a consistent 10% BNG requirement across England and stipulates this must be measured using the statutory metric. So, once the BNG regulations are in place and the requirements in the Act are carried out, there won’t be a need for a local planning policy to make it so.
Have your say on how we tailor BNG for Somerset
BNG legislation is being set nationally, however, there are some areas where the requirement can be tailored to local circumstances. We have produced a draft BNG Guidance Note for public consultation which provides technical guidance and advice on calculating and delivering BNG for Somerset to ensure a consistent and efficient approach aligned to local policy.
We want to hear from you to get your views on how we are proposing to approach these new rules
Public consultation
We particularly want to hear from planning applicants, developers, planning agents, ecologists, landowners, land managers, land agents, site promoters, nature conservation bodies, other technical stakeholders and the general public.
The Consultation is now live and runs for 4 weeks from Monday 6 November 2023 until Monday 4 December 2023.
You can have your say on:
- our proposed processes for dealing with BNG through the planning process (including validation requirements and approach for securing BNG from new development);
- our proposed approach for tailoring BNG locally through use of the Somerset BNG Principles, definition of strategic significance and the sequential approach;
- our proposed approach for enabling off-site delivery mechanisms in Somerset;
- our proposed approach for monitoring BNG; and
- the draft conclusions of the accompanying Strategic Environmental Assessment and Housing Redevelopment Authority Screening Report.
To take part, please click on the Start Survey button below.
Alternatively, you can respond by:
- emailing localplanningpolicy@somerset.gov.uk;
- writing to us at BNG, Somerset Council, County Hall, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 4DY; or
- commenting directly via our social media pages (linked at the bottom of this email).
Paper copies of the consultation documents are also available for public viewing at:
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