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www.gov.uk/natural-england
Biodiversity net gain through
planning in Kent
Julia Coneybeer, Natural England
Kent Nature Partnership
Workshop for Kent Local Planning AuthoritiesThursday 03 October 2019
Biodiversity net gain
LPA workshop
Introduction
Martin Cox, Leader of Maidstone Borough Council
Workshop agenda
1. 09.00 – 09.30 Arrival/ refreshments
2. 09.30 – 09.40 Introduction from Martin Cox, Leader of
Maidstone Borough Council
3. 09.40 – 10.00 Net gain and nature recovery networks refresher
4. 10.00 – 10.20 Net gain policy approaches by local authorities
5. 10.20 – 10.45 Net gain example, David Scully TWBC
6. 10.45 – 11.00 Refreshments
7. 11.00 – 11.10 Net gain vision and delivery in Kent
8. 11.10 – 11.20 Kent Nature Partnership, Liz Milne, KCC
9. 11.20 – 11.50 Discussion
10. 11.45 – 12.30 Feedback, questions and next steps
11. 12.30 – 13.00 Light lunch
Net gain
and Nature Recovery Network
refresher
What is net gain?
Net gain is an approach to
development, and/ or land
management, that aims to
leave the natural environment
in a measurably better state
than it was beforehand.
Why net gain?
Loss in biodiversity = loss in ecosystem
services
Policy and emerging legislation
• Existing policy – NERC Act, NPPF
• Defra 25 Year Environment Plan
• Environment Bill
Net gain to be made
mandatorysummer 2020?
Existing policy for protection and
enhancement of biodiversity
Biodiversity net gain:
• does not replace the mitigation
hierarchy
• does not replace existing
protections (designated sites,
protected species)
• does not apply to irreplaceable
habitat
Net Gain Where?
On-Site/Local Strategic
Calculating net gain –
the Biodiversity Metric 2.0
• Biodiversity Metric 2.0 beta version
• Free calculation tool
Its purpose:
• audit change in biodiversity
value in a place
• assess impact on biodiversity
from development
Who’s it for:
• Anyone who wants to use it
and understand it
• Developers
• Communities
• Land managers
• Local planning authorities
• Focusses on broad, typical habitats
• Three parts to metric: area-based habitats; hedgerows; and streams/
rivers
• Next update will also include intertidal and coastal habitats (later 2019)
Medmerry, © Natural England/ Cath Tonge © Natural England/ Peter Roworth
Feedback on metric wanted!
• Biodiversity metric 2.0 will be THE metric to use when net gain
made mandatory
• Refer to webinar slides for more detail on the metric
• Metric freely available and will be routinely updated and refined with
stakeholder consultation
• Please give feedback where you’ve used it/ seen it used!
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/natural-england/the-biodiversity-metric-2-0/
(closes 31 December 2019)
Nature Recovery Networks
• The bigger picture – for nature recovery
• NRNs = spatial frameworks to recover and restore nature
• More, bigger, better and more joined up (Lawton)
• Expanding network of urban and rural spaces for nature
• Re-establish biodiversity, functioning and resilience of ecosystems
in the longterm
Nature Recovery
Network
Resilience for
natural disasters,
extreme weather
events
Biodiversity net gain will be key tool in achieving
nature recovery!
Questions so far?
Biodiversity net gain policy approaches
by local authorities
Who’s already delivering
net gain?
Different Approaches from Local Planning
Authorities to embedding net gain
• Some LPAs have established NG approach, eg
– self-financing in-house team (Warwickshire)
– joined up approach within County (eg Dorset compensation
framework)
• Individual interim approaches eg Tunbridge Wells BC
• Embedding in planning policy with a Biodiversity Supplementary
Planning Document (SPD)
• Others working with partners such as Natural England, Wildlife Trust
and Nature Partnerships
Warwickshire County Council
• Warwickshire County Council hosts a Local Records Centre and an
Ecology Team, which provide services for the LPAs within the
county.
• Each development must prepare a Biodiversity Impact Assessment.
The mitigation hierarchy is applied. Any residual biodiversity loss
after avoidance and mitigation is assessed to determine a
biodiversity value for that loss, i.e. the biodiversity impact score.
• Any developer within the area can use the online resources to look
up a location and determine the potential ecological value of the
area, including: local wildlife sites, local geological sites, and
modelling to show potential role of habitats in species movement
(climate change relevance).
What data is available?
Why is it working?
• Warwickshire was one of six Defra pilots to trial biodiversity off-
setting which ran from 2012 – 2014.
• Each pilot developed a biodiversity offsetting ‘strategy’ which varied
in the level of detail and length. In the case of Warwickshire, a total
of £13,000 was spent on setting up the strategy and the pilot group.
• Warwickshire had its own LPA ecologist to lead the pilot, research
indicates that only 1/3 of LPAs are now in this position.
• Warwickshire County Council had access to all the Local Record
Centre data.
Going forward
• Data is up-to-date = Phase 1 Habitat data is completely refreshed
for the whole of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull on a 5 year
basis, with 20% resurveyed annually.
• Now self-funding through the scheme.
• Well staffed = there is now a team of ecologists working at
Warwickshire County Council rather than the single one who lead
the initial pilot, who are all now funded by the work.
• Embedded within planning policies and strategies.
Dorset County Council
All participating Local Planning Authorities requests:
• A biodiversity assessment for all greenfield development sites over
0.1ha.
• A standard bat check on all properties (outside heavily urbanised
areas) with an enclosed roof void.
• A standard bat and barn owl check on all barns and derelict
buildings in rural areas.
+• A standard format Biodiversity Mitigation Plan (BMP) that has been
approved by the Dorset County Council’s Natural Environment
Team (DCC NET) for all sites found to support biodiversity interests
and or all greenfield development sites over 0.1ha
Dorset County Council’s
Natural Environment Team
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
Moving from
No Net Loss
to
Net Gains
for Biodiversity
“maintain and enhance the natural world” or face disaster
“leave the environment in a better condition than we found it”
(Michael Gove ‘delivering a green Brexit’ in July 2017)
“Sparrow numbers 'plummet by 68%”
Thursday, 20 November 2008 BBC News website
“UK biodiversity still in decline”
Monday, 6 April 2009 BBC News website
“Alarming decline in England's biodiversity”
The Ecologist 11 March 2010
“One in 10 UK wildlife species faces extinction”
Guardian Wednesday 14 September 2016
Policy EN 11: Net Gains for Nature: biodiversity will apply to all
applications, except for householder and advertisements applications, and
other minor developments where biodiversity considerations are not
appropriate, e.g. a change of use from A1 (retail) to A3 (restaurants and
cafes). Those developments not covered by Policy EN 11 may still contribute
to net gain through, where appropriate, the attachment of a planning
condition to any consent requiring a scheme of ecological enhancements.
Where offsetting is proposed through a scheme of
biodiversity credits and/or land banking, that
scheme and the location for the offsetting will need to
be approved by the Council, and evidence
submitted to the Council to demonstrate compliance
with the policy.
Biodiversity Net Gain
Good practice principles for development
CIRIA/CIEEM/IEMA
Proposal for using S106 contributions:
To be defined in the S106 agreement as “biodiversity offsetting sum”
which is “to be spent on a scheme of biodiversity offsetting within the Borough
covering the establishment of project principles, scheme design, identification of
site(s) including the Council owned Woodlands of Marshley Harbour Woods,
Snipe and Bassets Wood and High Woods and/or the acquisition of other sites,
preparation of management plans and the execution of improvements works and
fees for management, professional and legal advice”.
Initially this will be earmarked as follows but this may change depending upon
advice received and early scoping of the proposals:
• Management plans for Council owned woodlands by KHWP with some external
support - £9k
• Long terms works to woodlands to achieve a minimum net gain of 5.71 Units -
£75K to be spent over a minimum 50year timeframe.
• Development of a future scheme of borough or county offsetting - £18K
consultant fees
• Any surplus to be put towards future offsetting schemes or biodiversity units to
be provided elsewhere.
Any Questions?
Achieving net gain,
and nature recovery,
in Kent
- discussion
200,000 homes +? Garden towns, major infrastructure, Thames Estuary 2050 Growth….
But – Kent is vanguard of the country for biodiversity!
Securing net gain
through planning
• Net gain already provided for in policy
• Set to be made mandatory through statute
• Biodiversity Metric 2.0 fundamental tool for
developers and LPAs
• Net gain will help achieve key LPA
sustainability targets
• Secure through
• Local Plan policy, detailed SPD
• Planning applications
• Coordinated approach?
Kent Nature Partnership –
supporting the delivery of BNG in Kent
Net gain Task and Finish Group:o LPAs (TWBC and MBC) and KCC
o Natural England
o Kent Wildlife Trust
o Brett
o Kent Downs AONB
o RSPB
o Environment Agency
o Southern Water
o (Developer and consultant to be invited)
Principles for BNG in Kent
BNG Model Policy
Stakeholder engagement and consultation
Nature Investment Portfolio and opportunities mapping
Review of capacity and capability to deliver BNG; and pipeline
of investment anticipated from development
Development of strategic frameworks for BNG – Kent
Biodiversity Strategy and Local Nature Recovery Strategy
(Nature Recovery Network)
Discuss….
Vision
• How can we secure biodiversity net gain (BNG) through planning in Kent
- ‘quick wins’ and longer term?
• What policy approaches for BNG could work for Kent LPAs?
• Is there support for a county-wide BNG approach which could distribute
some BNG funds to landscape-scale conservation projects?
Delivery
• How can LPAs work together for coordinated approach?
• What do LPAs need to help embed and deliver net gain policy?
• What barriers need to be overcome?
• Who and how can we involve other stakeholders/ sectors?
Where do we go from here?
Useful info
• BNG basics webinar (t be uploaded onto Kent Nature Partnership website):
https://youtu.be/MDTLiJHq7JM
• BNG principles and case studies (CIEEM, IEMA and CIRIA)
https://cieem.net/i-am/current-projects/biodiversity-net-gain/
• Biodiversity metric 2.0 and User Guide:
http://nepubprod.appspot.com/publication/5850908674228224
• Biodiversity metric 2.0 consultation (ends 31 December 2019):
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/natural-england/the-biodiversity-metric-2-0/
• Original Defra consultation on mandating BNG winter 2018/19, and
government response:
https://consult.defra.gov.uk/land-use/net-gain/
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/at
tachment_data/file/819823/net-gain-consult-sum-resp.pdf
Thanks
Please fill in and return feedback form!
Any further questions…… contact:
