Ecological Value in North West England
According to the State of the Natural Environment in the North West from Natural England, designated landscapes make up 29% of the region, primarily through the presence of the Lake District, certain sections of the Peak District and the Yorkshire Dales, and four recognised Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It also boasts of a significant number of wildlife habitats across the region, with evidence that 35 out of the 40 Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) habitats are present in the North West.
Unfortunately, however, as concerning data indicates a far from perfect state of biodiversity across the region, operating within the rules of biodiversity net gain (BNG) during a development project isn’t entirely simple. For instance, an environmental report on the North West from the UK government claims that the region has a higher percentage of car usage, a lower percentage of public transport usage compared to the national average, the second highest volume in the production of household waste, water quality below the national average, and numerous areas of ‘deprivation, worklessness and social exclusion’, particularly in industrial and coastal towns, as well as in and around both Liverpool and Manchester.
In any current or future land development, you will be required by your local planning authority to ensure that the biodiversity value will be maintained at the existing level before being improved upon by at least an additional 10%. For any projects in the North West of England and the corresponding counties of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside, the rules of BNG will apply, so guaranteeing that your development operates within the policy is a legal requirement.
North West Authorities
The local council that you will be dealing with to achieve biodiversity net gain as part of your development project will be determined based on your location. In an effort to simplify the process of meeting the BNG requirement, all of the local councils in the North West region are listed below, separated by county.
Cheshire
- Cheshire East Council
- Cheshire West and Chester Council
- Halton Borough Council
- Warrington Borough Council
Cumbria
- Allerdale Borough Council
- Barrow Borough Council
- Carlisle City Council
- Copeland Borough Council
- Cumbria County Council
- Eden District Council
- South Lakeland District Council
Greater Manchester
- Bolton Council
- Bury Council
- Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- Manchester City Council
- Oldham Council
- Rochdale Borough Council
- Salford City Council
- Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
- Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
- Trafford Council
- Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Lancashire
- Blackburn with Darwen Unitary Council
- Blackpool Unitary Council
- Burnley District Council
- Chorley District Council
- Fylde District Council
- Hyndburn District Council
- Lancashire County Council
- Lancaster District Council
- Pendle District Council
- Preston District Council
- Ribble Valley District Council
- Rossendale District Council
- South Ribble District Council
- West Lancashire District Council
- Wyre District Council
Merseyside
- Knowsley Council
- Liverpool City Council
- Sefton Council
- St Helens Council
- Wirral Council
Adhering to Biodiversity Net Gain
An unavoidable component in all future developments, biodiversity net gain is part of the Environment Act 2021 which focuses on enhancing the environmental standard of a site following the completion of a planning project. It features as a new component within the planning system, adding to existing limitations provided by the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and the national planning policy framework (NPPF).
Within this mandate, the biodiversity value on the site is measured based on present ecological features prior to the development, the changes being made, and any additional factors that could benefit the cause. The value of confirmed net gain calculations should then be built upon by at least 10% post-development to ensure it leaves biodiversity in a better state than before the development started.
Depending on location, it could be the case that many developers and development projects are unaffected by BNG, as it is currently in a transition period of two years to allow developers and local authorities to adapt. As a large number of local planning authorities have already opted to enforce the planning requirement in preparation for it becoming mandatory, however, planners are expected to not only be aware of the concept of biodiversity net gain but also incorporate it into their project.
BNG Solutions
Only dating back as far as 2018 when the concept was originally announced, biodiversity net gain is a relatively new national policy, and although it will soon be mandatory for all developments, the recent unveiling means that many developers are understandably lacking an understanding of the policy. Likewise, effective support for enhancing biodiversity to achieve BNG can be difficult to find.
Fortunately, however, our team of ecologists have kept a finger on the pulse of all matters relating to biodiversity net gain and its impact on planning applications since its inception. As such, we are capable of carrying out a thorough BNG survey to provide impactful recommendations on the local natural environment, ensure that the 10% net gain requirement is met, and prove to the local planning authority and other relevant bodies such as the Cheshire Wildlife Trust that the correct measures are in place.
Plan a BNG Assessment
Despite currently undergoing a two-year transition period, biodiversity net gain is a consideration for land developments that many local councils are already implementing. Due to this, it is wise for developers and anyone else in charge of planning projects to avoid any potential problems further down the line by adhering to the BNG mandate straight away.
Through a biodiversity net gain assessment, our expert team of ecologists can develop an understanding of your site and project to guarantee effective biodiversity enhancements, suitably appeasing your local planning authority and securing your application for planning permission.
For a free quote without obligation, speak to our friendly team and we will be able to give you an accurate price for a BNG assessment and report based on the details of your site and project. You can get in touch using the quote form or phone number at the top of this page, or visit our dedicated ‘contact‘ page.