A small sense of relief for Biodiversity Net Gain, but caution for nature is still required

Whilst there is a sense of relief that the government has stepped back from the sweeping BNG exemptions that were rumoured, the exemption for sites under 0.2ha is still a missed opportunity for our government to spearhead sustainable growth and drive private investment into nature recovery. Additional plans to streamline the process for small developers will need to be approached with caution, as oversimplification could risk eroding vital protections and allowing developers to cut corners when it comes to delivering a boost to biodiversity. Small sites make up a significant portion of development activity, and their combined impact on biodiversity should not be underestimated, or undervalued.

Although The Rivers Trust is happy to see explicit protections for chalk streams and national standards for sustainable drainage included in proposals for national planning policy reform, these limited handouts for nature pale in comparison to wider deregulatory activity – let alone the rhetoric from central government. With Environmental Improvement Plan targets looming, now is the time for the government to be urgently strengthening nature markets and accelerating nature recovery efforts, not backing away from them. 

Tom Gall, Ecosystem Services Data Analyst (BNG Technical Lead)