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Thinking of selling biodiversity units? This guide walks landowners through how to prepare their land for BNG—covering metric tools, registration, legal steps, and what’s different for small versus larger sites.
The idea of selling biodiversity units might sound like something only large estates or nature reserves can do—but that’s far from the truth. If you’ve got a bit of land, a willingness to commit to habitat creation, and a long-term view, you could be part of the growing market for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
Since BNG became mandatory in 2024 for most developments, demand for off-site biodiversity units has soared. That demand needs landowners—people like you—to create and maintain habitats that meet the standards.
So, how do you get started?
Biodiversity units are the currency of BNG. When a developer builds on land that affects habitats, they must offset that loss by creating at least 10% more biodiversity elsewhere. If they can’t achieve that on their own site, they need to buy units from a registered landowner who can.
This is where you come in. By restoring or creating habitats on your land—woodland, species-rich grassland, ponds, scrub—you generate biodiversity units. These can be sold to developers who need them to meet planning conditions.
The result? You help nature recover, and you earn a long-term income in return.
Start by identifying parts of your land that are less productive or already semi-natural. These could be:
These areas might not be making you much income now, but with the right management, they could generate valuable biodiversity units.
For small-scale landowners, you might be able to skip the ecologist. If your site is small (typically under 1 hectare) and simple in design, you can use the Small Sites Metric (SSM). It’s designed for projects like modest habitat creation or small self-build developments.
The SSM is a simplified version of the biodiversity metric that uses fixed habitat values—no condition assessments or ecological qualifications are required. You can fill it in yourself, or ask a land agent, gardener, or someone with habitat knowledge to help.
For larger or more complex sites, especially those with:
you’ll need to use the full statutory biodiversity metric—and that means working with an ecologist. They’ll survey the land, input data into the metric, and calculate your baseline and potential gain. This ensures your biodiversity units are credible and can be accepted by planning authorities.
Regardless of your site size, if you're registering land as a biodiversity gain site, you’ll need a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP). This outlines:
If you’re using the full metric, your ecologist can help draft the plan. For smaller SSM sites, there’s a government template that makes this easier to do yourself.
Think of it like a farm plan—but for nature.
Before you can sell biodiversity units, your land must be listed on the Biodiversity Gain Site Register, run by the government. This official step ensures transparency and accountability.
You’ll need:
Once registered, your site becomes visible to developers looking to buy off-site units.
To guarantee your habitat delivery, you’ll need a binding legal agreement—either a Conservation Covenant with a responsible body (like a local council or conservation charity), or a Section 106 agreement tied to planning.
This protects buyers and planning authorities, ensuring your land will be managed for biodiversity as promised.
Once your site is live, developers may approach you directly—or you can market your units through brokers, local planning networks, or land agents.
Prices vary, depending on habitat type, location, and demand. Some landowners sell all their units at once; others stagger sales as habitats mature.
Over the next 30 years, you’ll need to maintain the habitat and report on its condition. Monitoring is typically done with an ecologist or land advisor, depending on the size and complexity of your site.
If things go off track—say a meadow loses its species richness—you’ll be expected to take action to restore it.
If you’re thinking long-term, the answer is often yes. The income from selling biodiversity units can diversify your land-based income, support conservation goals, and future-proof marginal land.
Even better, you become part of a bigger picture—helping deliver national nature recovery, one wildflower patch or hedgerow at a time.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Don’t be. At AskGrant, we help landowners at every step of the journey—from understanding the biodiversity metric to registering your site and finding the right partners. Whether you’re starting small or planning big, we’re always happy to help you turn biodiversity into a new opportunity.
Thinking of selling biodiversity units? This guide walks landowners through how to prepare their land for BNG—covering metric tools, registration, legal steps, and what’s different for small versus larger sites.
The idea of selling biodiversity units might sound like something only large estates or nature reserves can do—but that’s far from the truth. If you’ve got a bit of land, a willingness to commit to habitat creation, and a long-term view, you could be part of the growing market for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).
Since BNG became mandatory in 2024 for most developments, demand for off-site biodiversity units has soared. That demand needs landowners—people like you—to create and maintain habitats that meet the standards.
So, how do you get started?
Biodiversity units are the currency of BNG. When a developer builds on land that affects habitats, they must offset that loss by creating at least 10% more biodiversity elsewhere. If they can’t achieve that on their own site, they need to buy units from a registered landowner who can.
This is where you come in. By restoring or creating habitats on your land—woodland, species-rich grassland, ponds, scrub—you generate biodiversity units. These can be sold to developers who need them to meet planning conditions.
The result? You help nature recover, and you earn a long-term income in return.
Start by identifying parts of your land that are less productive or already semi-natural. These could be:
These areas might not be making you much income now, but with the right management, they could generate valuable biodiversity units.
For small-scale landowners, you might be able to skip the ecologist. If your site is small (typically under 1 hectare) and simple in design, you can use the Small Sites Metric (SSM). It’s designed for projects like modest habitat creation or small self-build developments.
The SSM is a simplified version of the biodiversity metric that uses fixed habitat values—no condition assessments or ecological qualifications are required. You can fill it in yourself, or ask a land agent, gardener, or someone with habitat knowledge to help.
For larger or more complex sites, especially those with:
you’ll need to use the full statutory biodiversity metric—and that means working with an ecologist. They’ll survey the land, input data into the metric, and calculate your baseline and potential gain. This ensures your biodiversity units are credible and can be accepted by planning authorities.
Regardless of your site size, if you're registering land as a biodiversity gain site, you’ll need a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP). This outlines:
If you’re using the full metric, your ecologist can help draft the plan. For smaller SSM sites, there’s a government template that makes this easier to do yourself.
Think of it like a farm plan—but for nature.
Before you can sell biodiversity units, your land must be listed on the Biodiversity Gain Site Register, run by the government. This official step ensures transparency and accountability.
You’ll need:
Once registered, your site becomes visible to developers looking to buy off-site units.
To guarantee your habitat delivery, you’ll need a binding legal agreement—either a Conservation Covenant with a responsible body (like a local council or conservation charity), or a Section 106 agreement tied to planning.
This protects buyers and planning authorities, ensuring your land will be managed for biodiversity as promised.
Once your site is live, developers may approach you directly—or you can market your units through brokers, local planning networks, or land agents.
Prices vary, depending on habitat type, location, and demand. Some landowners sell all their units at once; others stagger sales as habitats mature.
Over the next 30 years, you’ll need to maintain the habitat and report on its condition. Monitoring is typically done with an ecologist or land advisor, depending on the size and complexity of your site.
If things go off track—say a meadow loses its species richness—you’ll be expected to take action to restore it.
If you’re thinking long-term, the answer is often yes. The income from selling biodiversity units can diversify your land-based income, support conservation goals, and future-proof marginal land.
Even better, you become part of a bigger picture—helping deliver national nature recovery, one wildflower patch or hedgerow at a time.
Feeling a bit overwhelmed? Don’t be. At AskGrant, we help landowners at every step of the journey—from understanding the biodiversity metric to registering your site and finding the right partners. Whether you’re starting small or planning big, we’re always happy to help you turn biodiversity into a new opportunity.
