Biodiversity Net Gain: Habitat Banks

Biodiversity net gain (BNG) has created new opportunities for landowners to contribute to nature’s recovery, diversify income streams, and safeguard businesses. Land which currently is unused, unproductive, or generally unsuitable for other purposes could be turned into a habitat bank to yield new income for landowners.

Under BNG, developers wanting planning permission need to show that their proposal will deliver at least a 10% uplift in biodiversity value.

It will not always be possible for developers to achieve this on-site, so there will be a demand for off-site solutions.  The purchase of biodiversity units from a habitat bank is one such off-site solution, particularly where the developer has no additional land themselves.

Habitat banks are areas of land where habitat creation or enhancement has achieved an uplift in biodiversity value.  This uplift can be sold to developers and allocated to their proposal, to meet BNG requirements.

To set up a habitat bank, landowners secure the creation and enhancements of habitats on their land through a legal agreement with the Council.  Once agreed, the habitat bank must be registered with the national Biodiversity Gains Site Register

The Council wants to work proactively with landowners to deliver habitat banks and the flow chart below aims to provide some guidance on the process,

Details of how to submit your proposal, and the documents required to accompany your submission, are listed below.

S.106 Agreement

We currently require applicants to use the PAS S.106 agreement template, link below for latest version.

Link to PAS S.106 Agreement Templates

Monitoring Costs

*Please note: additional costs outside of those included in the Biodiversity Metric will be billed separately.

Submission Documents:

All submissions should be e-mailed to uuadmin@tendringdc.gov.uk. Please ensure all documents are submitted in PDF format, unless stipulated otherwise on the requirements below.

To help make your submission as timely and smooth as possible, please ensure your application is accompanied by the following documents:

• Habitat Bank Proposal Form
• Statutory Biodiversity Metric Tool Calculation (must be Excel Spreadsheet)
• Signed Undertaking to pay associated legal, and ecology consultation fees
• Draft legal agreement (PAS version)
• Land Registry Deed & Title Plan or Lease Agreement to prove ownership
• Written authorisation from landowner or leaseholder if you are applying on their behalf
• Site Plan mapping the entirety of the proposed Habitat Bank Site
• Habitat Management & Monitoring Plan
• Impact statements / information where applicable (Q6 on proposal form)
• Administrative fee of £220.00

The Process:

Applications to register a Habitat Bank with the Local Authority are not governed by legislative timeframes.   The guide below details the process that will be followed on receipt of your application.

For enquiries or further information, please contact: uuadmin@tendringdc.gov.uk or telephone 01255 686190

Registered Habitat Banks within the Tendring District

Details of Habitat Banks will be listed here once they have been registered with Natural England.

1.

2.

Please note:  Land the subject of an application for a Habitat Bank should have no licences, permissions, consents or restoration plans on the land that could conflict with delivery of BNG