Off-site gains
You should consider the following when deciding where to source your off-site biodiversity gains. The biodiversity metric incentivises off-site gains close to your development so that communities local to the development benefit from increases in biodiversity.
The metric also provides an incentive to achieve off-site biodiversity gains in areas of strategic significance. Interim guidance is being prepared on areas of strategic significance. This guidance will be replaced by the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for the West Midlands when this is published (expected by March 2025).
Once you know you need off-site units, you will need to investigate the market to find what is available to buy. You will need to consider securing a gain site that provides habitat creation and enhancement to meet the needs of your specific BNG requirements.
Off-site biodiversity units can be bought from a variety of suppliers, including:
- directly from a landowner
- from a habitat bank operator
- via a broker or through a trading platform
- from the council
A legal agreement secures a gain site for BNG and sets out who will do the BNG creation, enhancement and management work for 30 years.
View more information about off-site gains.
Page last updated: 16 February 2024
