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A plain-English introduction to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), what the 10% rule means, and how landowners like you can get involved—whether to support nature, unlock funding, or plan for the future.
Walk through any British countryside and you’ll find hedgerows humming with bees, ancient woodlands quietly doing their bit for the climate, and pockets of pasture sheltering skylarks and hares. But as development stretches further into the countryside, the government has introduced a new rule to make sure nature doesn’t just survive—it thrives.
That’s where Biodiversity Net Gain, or BNG, comes in.
In plain terms, BNG is a legal requirement that ensures new developments—whether that’s a housing estate or a retail park—leave the natural environment in a better state than it was before. From February 2024, most developments in England must deliver a minimum 10% net gain in biodiversity. And that’s not a target developers can simply choose to ignore—it’s baked into planning law.
BNG isn’t about halting development altogether. It’s about ensuring that when land is changed, it’s done with nature in mind. It might mean enhancing habitats on-site, improving land elsewhere (off-site), or—if neither is possible—paying into a government-run credits scheme that funds nature recovery elsewhere in the country.
Because your land could be part of the solution.
If you own fields, woodland, or even marginal land that could be restored, you may be in a position to generate and sell biodiversity units to developers looking to meet their BNG obligations. It’s not just good for nature—it could also be a new source of income.
For someone like Eleanor—perhaps you’ve inherited land and are figuring out how to manage it sustainably—BNG opens up a new pathway to stewarding your patch of countryside. It's a way to contribute to local wildlife recovery, while making the numbers work.
The key requirement under mandatory BNG is that any development must result in at least a 10% increase in biodiversity value compared to the state of the land before development began.
This is measured using the statutory biodiversity metric—a kind of nature calculator that factors in habitat type, condition, size, and location. So if a developer impacts habitats worth 100 biodiversity units, they’ll need to deliver 110 units in return—either on-site, off-site, or by purchasing statutory credits.
And importantly, any new or enhanced habitats must be maintained for at least 30 years.
It depends on what you’ve got and what you're willing to manage long-term.
You don’t need to own a pristine nature reserve to participate. In fact, many farmers and estate owners are looking at less productive corners of their land—sloped fields, scruffy hedgerows, wet areas—as perfect spots to create or improve habitats for biodiversity units. Native woodland, wildflower meadows, ponds and wetlands all play a part.
Of course, this isn’t a free-for-all. There are rules, registration requirements, and planning considerations. You’ll also need a habitat management plan and some legal agreements to guarantee that improvements will be looked after over the 30-year term.
BNG doesn’t replace existing environmental protections. Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), ancient woodland, and other protected habitats are still off-limits for damage. Nor is it a get-rich-quick scheme—this is about long-term stewardship and careful planning.
But for those looking to diversify their income while leaving a positive legacy on the land, BNG could be a valuable new tool in the shed.
If this all sounds a bit like alphabet soup—BNG, biodiversity units, gain plans—don’t worry. You’re not alone. At AskGrant, we break this down step by step. Whether you’re exploring options for your land or ready to speak to an ecologist, our tools and guidance are here to help.
As the saying goes, you can't plant a tree yesterday. But you can take a first step today.
A plain-English introduction to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), what the 10% rule means, and how landowners like you can get involved—whether to support nature, unlock funding, or plan for the future.
Walk through any British countryside and you’ll find hedgerows humming with bees, ancient woodlands quietly doing their bit for the climate, and pockets of pasture sheltering skylarks and hares. But as development stretches further into the countryside, the government has introduced a new rule to make sure nature doesn’t just survive—it thrives.
That’s where Biodiversity Net Gain, or BNG, comes in.
In plain terms, BNG is a legal requirement that ensures new developments—whether that’s a housing estate or a retail park—leave the natural environment in a better state than it was before. From February 2024, most developments in England must deliver a minimum 10% net gain in biodiversity. And that’s not a target developers can simply choose to ignore—it’s baked into planning law.
BNG isn’t about halting development altogether. It’s about ensuring that when land is changed, it’s done with nature in mind. It might mean enhancing habitats on-site, improving land elsewhere (off-site), or—if neither is possible—paying into a government-run credits scheme that funds nature recovery elsewhere in the country.
Because your land could be part of the solution.
If you own fields, woodland, or even marginal land that could be restored, you may be in a position to generate and sell biodiversity units to developers looking to meet their BNG obligations. It’s not just good for nature—it could also be a new source of income.
For someone like Eleanor—perhaps you’ve inherited land and are figuring out how to manage it sustainably—BNG opens up a new pathway to stewarding your patch of countryside. It's a way to contribute to local wildlife recovery, while making the numbers work.
The key requirement under mandatory BNG is that any development must result in at least a 10% increase in biodiversity value compared to the state of the land before development began.
This is measured using the statutory biodiversity metric—a kind of nature calculator that factors in habitat type, condition, size, and location. So if a developer impacts habitats worth 100 biodiversity units, they’ll need to deliver 110 units in return—either on-site, off-site, or by purchasing statutory credits.
And importantly, any new or enhanced habitats must be maintained for at least 30 years.
It depends on what you’ve got and what you're willing to manage long-term.
You don’t need to own a pristine nature reserve to participate. In fact, many farmers and estate owners are looking at less productive corners of their land—sloped fields, scruffy hedgerows, wet areas—as perfect spots to create or improve habitats for biodiversity units. Native woodland, wildflower meadows, ponds and wetlands all play a part.
Of course, this isn’t a free-for-all. There are rules, registration requirements, and planning considerations. You’ll also need a habitat management plan and some legal agreements to guarantee that improvements will be looked after over the 30-year term.
BNG doesn’t replace existing environmental protections. Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), ancient woodland, and other protected habitats are still off-limits for damage. Nor is it a get-rich-quick scheme—this is about long-term stewardship and careful planning.
But for those looking to diversify their income while leaving a positive legacy on the land, BNG could be a valuable new tool in the shed.
If this all sounds a bit like alphabet soup—BNG, biodiversity units, gain plans—don’t worry. You’re not alone. At AskGrant, we break this down step by step. Whether you’re exploring options for your land or ready to speak to an ecologist, our tools and guidance are here to help.
As the saying goes, you can't plant a tree yesterday. But you can take a first step today.
