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Local planning authorities play a key role in enforcing Biodiversity Net Gain. This article explains what they’re looking for, how they assess gain plans, and what landowners should know to work with them effectively.
If you’re a landowner thinking of selling biodiversity units, or a developer trying to meet your BNG obligations, there’s one group you’ll always need to keep in mind: your local planning authority (LPA).
They're the gatekeepers. They approve or reject biodiversity gain plans, oversee legal agreements, and ensure that every development delivers on its promises to nature.
But what are they actually doing behind the scenes? And what should you know if you're working alongside—or through—them?
Under the Biodiversity Net Gain rules, local planning authorities are responsible for:
Without their sign-off, planning permission can’t be granted. That makes them key players in the biodiversity net gain planning process.
When reviewing a planning application, LPAs will check that the developer:
They’ll also be checking:
This means that anything vague, overly ambitious, or missing key evidence is likely to be sent back.
A term you’ll hear a lot in BNG discussions is “strategic significance”—and it matters. Local planning authorities are increasingly using Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) to assess how well a proposed habitat aligns with their broader nature goals.
If a landowner creates a habitat in an area marked as high priority in the LNRS, the biodiversity units may be worth more—and be more attractive to developers. That’s because the biodiversity metric gives extra weighting to strategically located habitats.
For landowners, this means:
AskGrant can help you explore this, or point you toward your local nature strategy documents.
Many LPAs have been building their capacity over the past year, but there’s still variation across the country. Some councils have in-house ecologists or BNG officers; others rely on consultants or planning officers to assess gain plans.
This makes early conversations with your local authority essential—especially if you’re preparing a biodiversity gain site or partnering with a developer.
Tip: When speaking to your local authority, ask:
If you’re planning to sell biodiversity units:
Trying to rush a BNG plan through just before a planning deadline rarely ends well. Engage with your local planning team early in the design process, especially if you're relying on off-site units or exploring alternative delivery routes.
Whether you’re registering a site or submitting a plan, we help make sense of how your local planning authority fits into the bigger picture. From translating jargon to connecting you with ecologists and land agents, we’re here to help BNG go smoothly—on both sides of the fence.
Local planning authorities play a key role in enforcing Biodiversity Net Gain. This article explains what they’re looking for, how they assess gain plans, and what landowners should know to work with them effectively.
If you’re a landowner thinking of selling biodiversity units, or a developer trying to meet your BNG obligations, there’s one group you’ll always need to keep in mind: your local planning authority (LPA).
They're the gatekeepers. They approve or reject biodiversity gain plans, oversee legal agreements, and ensure that every development delivers on its promises to nature.
But what are they actually doing behind the scenes? And what should you know if you're working alongside—or through—them?
Under the Biodiversity Net Gain rules, local planning authorities are responsible for:
Without their sign-off, planning permission can’t be granted. That makes them key players in the biodiversity net gain planning process.
When reviewing a planning application, LPAs will check that the developer:
They’ll also be checking:
This means that anything vague, overly ambitious, or missing key evidence is likely to be sent back.
A term you’ll hear a lot in BNG discussions is “strategic significance”—and it matters. Local planning authorities are increasingly using Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS) to assess how well a proposed habitat aligns with their broader nature goals.
If a landowner creates a habitat in an area marked as high priority in the LNRS, the biodiversity units may be worth more—and be more attractive to developers. That’s because the biodiversity metric gives extra weighting to strategically located habitats.
For landowners, this means:
AskGrant can help you explore this, or point you toward your local nature strategy documents.
Many LPAs have been building their capacity over the past year, but there’s still variation across the country. Some councils have in-house ecologists or BNG officers; others rely on consultants or planning officers to assess gain plans.
This makes early conversations with your local authority essential—especially if you’re preparing a biodiversity gain site or partnering with a developer.
Tip: When speaking to your local authority, ask:
If you’re planning to sell biodiversity units:
Trying to rush a BNG plan through just before a planning deadline rarely ends well. Engage with your local planning team early in the design process, especially if you're relying on off-site units or exploring alternative delivery routes.
Whether you’re registering a site or submitting a plan, we help make sense of how your local planning authority fits into the bigger picture. From translating jargon to connecting you with ecologists and land agents, we’re here to help BNG go smoothly—on both sides of the fence.
