If your development cannot meet its BNG requirement on site, you may need off-site biodiversity units to meet your compliance requirements. Securing the right units early can help you avoid unnecessary delays and keep your project moving forward.
Whether you already have a biodiversity metric or are still working out your BNG requirements, our experienced BNG team can help. We can review your biodiversity metric, confirm the type and number of units you need, identify suitable off-site units, provide clear options and costs, and support you through the process of securing the required units for your development.
Biodiversity units are a standardised way of measuring the biodiversity value of a habitat. They are calculated using the statutory biodiversity metric, which considers factors such as habitat type, size and condition.
If your development has a biodiversity shortfall that cannot be fully addressed on site, you still need to meet your BNG requirements. In this case, off-site biodiversity units can provide a practical way to help meet that requirement.
As of April 2nd 2024 a Biodiversity net gain of 10% on all building projects over 25m2 became mandatory. This was amended in August 2026 to sites over 0.2 hectares (0.5 acres) if no Priority Habitat was impacted. As a developer, you may have built an extension, large estate or something in between. As such, to comply with planning regulations you will need to increase the biodiversity of the site by 10%. The ideal solution is to increase the biodiversity onsite, therefore not needing to purchase off-site BNG units. However the net gain can not be achieved by using a residential garden to plant hedges, trees etc to uplift the BNG; in these cases the units must be purchased off-site.
From your enquiry to receiving your Reservation Code, we guide you through each stage of securing your off-site biodiversity units.
We can assist you with all of the necessary surveys you need to start the process of buying BNG units.
To find out more about how we can help, get in touch today!




