Mixed Woodland BNG Units for Sale
Our Mixed Woodland BNG units provide an off-site solution where additional woodland habitat value is required.
Purchasing the required units helps fulfil your biodiversity net gain planning conditions and supports your application through the planning process.
Price from
£21,560
per biodiversity unit
Planning compliant
30 years
legally secured BNG delivery.
Purchase increments
0.01 units
flexible purchasing to meet your 10% BNG requirement.
Fast Turnaround
48 hours
Allocation Agreement issued within 48 hours of payment.
CURRENT AVAILABILITY AND PRICING
'Mixed Woodland' Units Available for Development Projects
Mixed Woodland BNG units are available from £21,560 per biodiversity unit.
Purchases can be made in increments of 0.01, allowing the allocation to align closely with the shortfall identified in the Biodiversity Metric. Fixed administration, registration and allocation costs may also apply, so smaller purchases are quoted individually.
Once the woodland requirement, trading rules and development location have been assessed, we will confirm suitability, availability and the final cost.
Your BNG unit requirement can be priced within a 5 minuite conversation with one of highly trained Client Managers.
UNDERSTANDING THE REQUIREMENT
Why Does My BNG Assessment Require Mixed Woodland Units?
Mixed Woodland units may be required where a development affects woodland habitat and the resulting biodiversity shortfall cannot be fully addressed on site. The Biodiversity Metric looks at the woodland type, condition and distinctiveness before identifying what form of off-site gain is needed.
Mixed Woodland is made up of a combination of tree species, often with different heights, ages and canopy layers. It may also include shrubs, ground flora, deadwood, open glades and woodland edges, all of which contribute to the habitat’s overall value.
That variety matters. A well-structured woodland can support birds, bats, invertebrates, fungi and small mammals, while also providing shelter, shade and important connections across the wider landscape.
Not every woodland unit is interchangeable. A medium-distinctiveness mixed woodland gain may not be suitable where the development has affected a higher-distinctiveness woodland habitat. The exact classification, condition and trading rules shown in the metric must therefore be reviewed before units are allocated.
1
Existing habitat is assessed
The metric records the habitat affected by the proposed development.
2
A shortfall is calculated
On-site measures are accounted for before any off-site requirement is confirmed.
3
Suitable units are allocated
The habitat, location and unit requirement are reviewed before purchase.
HABITAT ASSESSMENT
How Mixed Woodland Units are Assessed
Mixed Woodland units are assessed by looking at the woodland as a complete habitat, rather than simply counting the number of trees or measuring canopy cover.
The Biodiversity Metric considers the woodland type, area and condition. An ecologist then looks at the features that show whether the habitat has the structure and diversity expected of a functioning woodland.
The assessment may consider:
• the variety of tree and shrub species present;
• the balance between native and non-native species;
• variation in tree age, height and canopy structure;
• the presence of an understorey and woodland ground flora;
• the amount and type of standing and fallen deadwood;
• natural regeneration and the establishment of young trees;
• open areas, rides and woodland edges;
• damage from browsing, disease, soil compaction or unsuitable management;
• invasive species that may suppress woodland development;
• how well the woodland connects with hedgerows, grassland and other habitats.
These features matter because two woodlands of the same size can provide very different levels of biodiversity. A varied woodland with several canopy layers, developing trees, deadwood and a well-established understorey can support far more wildlife than a uniform stand of similar-aged trees with little vegetation beneath.
The metric combines the woodland’s area, classification and condition with other factors, including strategic significance. Where woodland is being created or enhanced, it also allows for the time needed to reach the target condition and the risk that the habitat may not develop as planned.
This is particularly important for woodland because many of its most valuable features take years, or even decades, to form. A newly planted area is therefore not treated as though it already has the biodiversity value of established woodland.
The resulting unit value can then be considered against the development’s recorded shortfall and the habitat trading rules. Mixed Woodland units cannot automatically compensate for the loss of every woodland type, particularly where a higher-distinctiveness habitat has been affected.
Habitat type
What is present or being created
Condition
The ecological quality achieved
Area
The extent of the habitat parcel
Location
How spatial rules affect allocation
CREATION AND MANAGEMENT
How Mixed Woodland Is Created and Managed
Creating Mixed Woodland is a long-term habitat project, not simply a tree-planting exercise.
The process begins with an assessment of the site, including its soils, drainage, existing vegetation, exposure and relationship with nearby habitats. This helps determine which tree and shrub species are suitable, how the woodland should be arranged and what ecological structure it is expected to develop.
A successful woodland is rarely planted as a uniform block. The design may include a mix of canopy trees, smaller trees and native shrubs, together with woodland edges, open glades and connecting features. This creates a wider range of light levels, shelter and growing conditions.
Establishment work may include:
• preparing the ground without unnecessarily damaging the soil;
• selecting species suited to the local landscape and site conditions;
• planting a varied mix of trees and shrubs;
• protecting young trees from deer, livestock and accidental damage;
• controlling competing vegetation during establishment;
• replacing failed trees where gaps affect the habitat design;
• retaining suitable existing trees, scrub or natural regeneration;
• creating graded woodland edges rather than abrupt boundaries.
The early years focus on helping the planting establish successfully. As the woodland develops, the management approach changes. The aim is to create variation in age, height and structure rather than maintaining every tree in the same condition.
Establish
Prepare and develop the required plant community.
Manage
Apply planned cutting, grazing and vegetation control.
Monitor
Record condition and progress against habitat objectives.
Adapt
Adjust management where monitoring identifies a need.
LONG-TERM DELIVERY
Long-Term Habitat Delivery
Each unit is backed by habitat on land owned and managed by BNG Solutions UK. We remain responsible for the conservation covenant, ecological oversight, ongoing management and monitoring required to deliver the habitat for at least 30 years.
These responsibilities, and the associated long-term costs, remain with us.
THE PURCHASE PROCESS
From Metric Review to Completed Allocation
Send your metric
Provide the development location and unit requirement.
Suitability review
Habitat type, spatial rules and availability are checked.
Confirm allocation
Pricing, documentation and allocation details are agreed.
Complete and register
The units are allocated to the development and DEFRA registered.
What We Need to Confirm Your Allocation
To carry out an initial review, we will usually need your completed Biodiversity Metric, development postcode and the number of Mixed Woodland units identified. Where available, you can also send your Biodiversity Gain Plan and any relevant planning correspondence.
Mixed Woodland BNG Units FAQs
Mixed woodland BNG units are off-site area habitat units generated through the creation or enhancement of mixed woodland on a biodiversity gain site. Within the Statutory Biodiversity Metric, this habitat is recorded within the woodland and forest broad habitat group. The units can be allocated to a development where the metric identifies a compatible area-habitat shortfall that cannot be met entirely on-site.
Yes. Medium mixed woodland BNG units are currently available through BNG Solutions UK, subject to the number of units required, the development location and compatibility with the completed Biodiversity Metric. We confirm suitability and current availability before any purchase or allocation is agreed.
The available habitat is recorded as woodland and forest – other woodland; mixed, which falls within the medium-distinctiveness band of the Statutory Biodiversity Metric. “Medium” refers to the habitat’s distinctiveness category rather than the age, maturity or condition of the woodland. Habitat condition is assessed separately within the metric.
Send us your completed Biodiversity Metric and development location. We will review the habitat being lost, its distinctiveness, the required unit type, the woodland and forest trading requirements and any spatial factors before confirming whether mixed woodland BNG units are suitable and how many units need to be allocated.
No. Mixed woodland units cannot automatically be used for every BNG shortfall. They are area habitat units and cannot replace hedgerow or watercourse units. Medium-distinctiveness habitat losses must normally be replaced by compatible medium habitats within the same broad habitat group or by an eligible habitat from a higher distinctiveness band. The completed metric must therefore be checked before purchase.
No. Ancient woodland is classed as irreplaceable habitat, and standard off-site biodiversity units cannot be used as compensation for its loss or deterioration. Any impact on ancient woodland requires bespoke compensation agreed with the relevant planning authority and is treated separately from the development’s standard BNG calculation.
Medium mixed woodland BNG units are currently available from £24,640 per biodiversity unit. The final cost depends on the number of units required. Fixed administration, registration and allocation costs are quoted inclusively of final costs.
Yes. Mixed woodland BNG units can be purchased in increments of 0.01 units, allowing the allocation to be matched closely to the shortfall shown in the Biodiversity Metric.
No. One mixed woodland biodiversity unit does not correspond to a fixed number of hectares. The number of units generated is calculated using the habitat area alongside factors including distinctiveness, condition, strategic significance and the risks associated with creating or enhancing the woodland.
Yes. The Statutory Biodiversity Metric considers the relationship between the development and the off-site biodiversity gain site. We therefore review both locations before confirming the final requirement. A spatial risk adjustment may mean that additional off-site units are needed to meet the calculated shortfall.
The purchase provides the agreed number of mixed woodland BNG units for allocation to your development. We also support the allocation agreement, registration requirements and the information needed to evidence the off-site provision within the Biodiversity Gain Plan. Any fixed administration and allocation charges will be shown clearly within the quotation.
BNG Solutions UK remains responsible for the ecological delivery, management and monitoring of the mixed woodland in accordance with the habitat management plan and legal agreement. The woodland will be legally secured and managed for a minimum of 30 years. The purchaser does not become responsible for woodland maintenance, ecological monitoring or routine management costs.
START WITH YOUR BIODIVERSITY METRIC
Check whether Mixed Woodland units are right for your development
Send the metric, development location and required number of units. Our team can review suitability and confirm current availability before you commit.