The government has reportedly decided to delay the Biodiversity Net Gain policy, which requires developers to improve countryside and wildlife habitats
Biodiversity Net Gain, which was due to become a mandatory component of England’s planning system in November, will now not be enforced this year, according to government sources.
The Biodiversity Net Gain policy was introduced as part of the 2021 Environment Act and aims to ensure that developers leave the natural environment in a better condition than its previous state.
Environmentalists react to the scrapping of Biodiversity Net Gain
The delay has drawn criticism from environmentalists, The Wildlife Trusts has described this postponement as “another setback for nature.” The government maintains that it is committed to the policy and has promised to announce a new implementation date in the near future.
The delay follows a period of uncertainty surrounding environmental policy as the government considers changes to pollution rules and relaxing goals for net-zero emissions.
“This is yet another blow to sustainable development and risks undermining national efforts to put the collapse of nature into reverse, said Simon McWhirter, UKGBC deputy chief executive & director of external affairs.
“Responsible developers, large and small, have been gearing up for this change for years, with many of our members creating dedicated jobs to deliver net gain from in-house consultants to designers, landscape architects and creative project leads. This will be exceptionally damaging for their projected work pipelines, investment, supply chains, and related job roles,” he continued.
The Biodiversity Net Gain means that in order to secure planning permission, developers would need to agree to deliver a biodiversity gain, on or off-site, of a minimum of 10%.
Habitats and wildlife affected by the development would be assessed via a government-created ‘calculator,’ assigning biodiversity values. Native hedgerows and hay meadows receive high values, while cropland and derelict land get lower values.
“This is a major setback for nature and for business, which has been told to prepare for these regulations coming in,” said Dr Samuel Sinclair, director of Biodiversify, in response to the move.
“The private sector has woken up to the importance of the biodiversity crisis and has been moving at speed to take action. The government should be supporting them in this and providing leadership, not sowing uncertainty,” he continued.
Developers have expressed uncertainty over the policy
A survey from the Land Trust reported that 50% of developers and land promoters would find the Biodiversity Net Gain requirements “very challenging”, and only 13% believed them to be achievable.
The government has agreed to give builders of smaller sites a five-month grace period until April 2024 to adhere to the new rules. Ministers have also pledged £16m to help local authorities deliver the policy.
“Councils are concerned about the impact of further delays on their ability to effectively implement Biodiversity Net Gain,” said Darren Rodwell, environment spokesperson for the LGA.
“Councils urgently need confirmation of go-live dates, essential guidance and definitions and a clear timetable of funding in order to employ additional staff and invest in the expertise and capacity,” he concluded.
