Last week, Defra opened their Consultation on Biodiversity Net Gain Regulations and Implementation which is an opportunity for those working within the construction sector to comment on how the forthcoming secondary legislation for The Environment Act will take shape along with associated processes and guidance.
With the Environment Act gaining Royal Assent in November 2021 and many local planning authorities beginning to build mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain into local planning policy, many of our clients will be aware of the implications this new piece of legislation will have on the planning process. This consultation provides us with a chance to influence how this will work in practice and so we encourage engagement with this process to ensure as many viewpoints are collected as possible.
Here at FPCR, we are busy preparing a consultation response based on our extensive experience of Biodiversity Offsetting and Biodiversity Net Gain from an early stage in its consideration and development within the UK planning system. With staff members on the Natural England Metric Sounding Board Group and a team of Biodiversity Net Gain Specialists, we are well placed to share our wealth of practical experience in working with policy, implementation and delivery of net gain as part of planning. Through engaging with this consultation, we are keen to support the successful and effective implementation of this exciting step change in how ecology will be considered within planning law and policy so that we can continue offering market leading and up-to-date ecological advice to our clients.
The consultation and relevant supporting documents can be found at the link below: