Working with us as a Responsible Body

The Greater Manchester Environment Fund was appointed as a Responsible Body by Defra in September 2024. As a Responsible Body, we are able to enter into legally-binding agreements with landowners and developers called ‘conservation covenants’, which establish the long-term protection of a landholding for nature conservation.

One of the key uses of a conservation covenant is to enable the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), a planning policy introduced earlier this year. BNG requires developers to leave the natural world in a better state than it was prior to their development being built. The rules mean that almost all developments must result in a minimum 10% increase in natural habitat, which can be delivered within their development itself or on land elsewhere.

Conservation covenants provide an alternative legal mechanism to Section 106 agreements for securing biodiversity gain sites.

One of the key benefits of a conservation covenant is that they take less time to obtain than a planning condition via the local authority; something which has led to a limited number of registered offsite supply sites nationally.

Conservation covenants secure long-term outcomes for nature conservation because they apply to both present and future owners of the land - the conservation commitments within an agreement are passed onto any future landowners.

Becoming a Responsible Body is central to our commitment to help deliver a thriving natural environment in Greater Manchester. It is critical that where offsite biodiversity units are required by developers operating in Greater Manchester, this is sourced at supply sites in Greater Manchester. Our role as a Responsible Body will help ensure that supply sites can be brought forward in a  timely fashion to meet this need. We intend to work with landowners to ensure that habitat is created and restored to a high standard and in the right places, in line with the county's Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Through conversations led by Greater Manchester Environment Fund and other key stakeholders in the region we know there are a number of public and private landowners who want to bring forward their land for offsite biodiversity unit supply but lack the capacity and expertise to do so. As a Responsible Body we intend to help address this issue.

Rather than exclusively entering into Conservation Covenants where we monitor habitat restoration work to ensure it is carried out properly and take enforcement action where required; Greater Manchester Environment Fund will operate as the 'habitat gain deliverer' where justified. A number of landowners, particularly public bodies, have suitable land but do not have the capacity and or expertise to undertake the delivery of habitat creation, restoration and or maintenance on supply sites over 30+ years. Where this land is in a strategic location for nature recovery we will deliver the 'habitat gain function' for such landowners (* with them undertaking monitoring and enforcement function) to ensure that there is a viable route for such land in Greater Manchester.   

Whilst we are not restricted to working in Greater Manchester in the immediate short term this is where we intend to focus our work as a Responsible Body.

If you'd like to enquire about working with us as a Responsible Body, please complete the form below.