Businesses and developers met in London yesterday to discuss the recent Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) consultation response and what that means for the policy.

The briefing event, hosted by Environment Bank and in partnership with Dentons, brought together corporates, developers, planners, local authority representatives, and ecologists to discuss the planning, ecology, and legal aspects of the BNG policy. The event included a virtual tour of its Chesham Habitat Bank to showcase how habitat restoration projects are helping unlock development while restoring nature around London.

Located within the Chess Valley Biodiversity Opportunity Area, Chesham Habitat Bank is restoring and enhancing a network of habitats designed to strengthen ecological connectivity and support nature recovery across the landscape. The scale of the site means it neighbours and encompasses several areas identified within the Buckinghamshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), including the Frith Wood and Hodgemoor Wood Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and the Chiltern Beechwoods Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

Activity at the site includes the creation of new woodland habitat to extend and reconnect existing pockets of ancient woodland, helping to create wildlife corridors and increase available habitats for key species such as barbastelle bat and both small heath and purple emperor butterfly.

Alongside woodland creation, areas of species-rich grassland, scrub, and native hedgerow are being established to support a diverse range of local wildlife while improving soil health across the site. Environment Bank is also working closely with local contractors and graziers to deliver and manage the habitat restoration programme, ensuring the project brings long-term environmental benefits while also creating opportunities for local people to see nature recovery take shape and flourish over time.

Molly Brealey, Key Account Lead, Environment Bank, said:

“London developers are dealing with some of the most complex sites in the country, so getting BNG delivery right here is especially important. It was great to hear such a range of questions from the floor – people want practical answers on what this means for their sites, and that’s exactly what these breakfasts are for.”

There were sixty people in attendance, including representatives from Barclays, Tetra Tech, Westminster City Council, Wates Residential, and Mace.

Together, Henry Burn, Molly Brealey, and Matthew Dodds from Environment Bank – as well as Grace Pinault, Associate at Dentons – provided essential clarity on how regulations and exemptions apply to different kinds of development. They also gave in-depth insights on the BNG legal framework and its requirements, as well as setting out the most effective strategies for delivering BNG across the region.

It was encouraging to see so many local businesses in the room learning about how Habitat Banks are delivering meaningful benefit for nature and wildlife, as well as developers learning effective strategies to meet their new planning requirements.

What is BNG policy?

Developers are required by law under the Environment Act 2021 to ensure that all significant developments deliver a minimum 10% increase in biodiversity and they can do so by purchasing off-site Biodiversity Units from BNG Habitat Banks.

Environment Bank enables the delivery of this legislation by providing developers with Biodiversity Units from their dedicated BNG Habitat Banks, which are fully funded in advance for thirty years. BNG is now helping unlock the projects needed to meet the UK’s ambitious development targets, including building 1.5 million new homes, and seeing our valuable habitats restored.

Following a thorough assessment of the site, Environment Bank is generating a range of high-integrity Biodiversity Units from Chesham Habitat Bank to provide an effective local off-site BNG solution for Buckinghamshire Council (LPA) area and the Chilterns (NCA).

Chesham Habitat Bank is one of over fifty BNG sites from Environment Bank’s national network, created and managed by its team of ecologists in partnership with rural landowners and covering over four thousand acres of land in total. These sites transform low-yielding farmland into nature recovery sites and maximise biodiversity uplifts, unlocking more than ten thousand off-site Biodiversity Units for developers to purchase.