This week, the government announced a two-month delay to planning conditions that will force new housing, industrial or commercial development to deliver a 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).  BNG was meant to become mandatory in November, but has been delayed until January 2024 with further guidance due at the end of November.  This is likely to include adjustments to the metric which calculates the biodiversity gain and further templates and guidance on implementation.  This announcement comes on top of proposed reforms to Nutrient Neutrality published at the end of August.  Both Biodiversity Net Gain and Nutrient Neutrality are potential ways for farmers and landowners to benefit from private finance and this delay creates uncertainty for those trying to develop agreements.

The Lake District National Park, on behalf of all Cumbrian Local Authorities has put out a call for sites suitable for BNG and nutrient mitigation. Go to: Public Call for Nature Sites (arcgis.com).