Environment Bank Expands Leadership in Biodiversity Net Gain with 16 New Habitat Banks

Environment Bank, the top provider of off-site Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), has added 16 Habitat Banks to Natural England’s biodiversity gain sites register. Spanning 850 acres across England, these sites account for over 40% of the register and unlock 2,000+ biodiversity units for developers to meet BNG requirements.

Catherine Spitzer, CEO, Environment Bank said: “There is growing demand to purchase Biodiversity Units and adding sites onto the national register is the final step in making them available for purchase. Environment Bank’s new additions have increased the size of the register by over 75%, and we’re expecting more of our national network of 30 Habitat Banks to be added soon.

“With much discussion around the perceived lack of availability of registered Biodiversity Units ready for developers to purchase, Environment Bank is rapidly providing a solution to satisfy demand.”

Developers are required by law to ensure that all significant developments deliver a minimum 10% increase in biodiversity for them to be granted planning permission by the local authority. Developers can do this by creating new habitats at the site of development, but this is often not possible.

Their next option is to purchase Biodiversity Units from a dedicated BNG site – like the Habitat Banks Environment Bank has created. For a developer to satisfy the local authority, any off-site Biodiversity Units they’ve purchased must come from a BNG site that’s listed on Natural England’s biodiversity gain sites register.

To be added to the register, a BNG site must have a legal agreement in place (either a conservation covenant or s106) to make use of the land bound to BNG for a mandatory 30-year period.