Male blackbird on alert © Jon Hawkins
Delivering Biodiversity Net Gain in Greater Manchester
Biodiversity Net Gain
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is a new approach to ensure future development contributes towards nature’s recovery. Developers must ensure that habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than they were pre-development, with either better quality or more habitats.
BNG is a key pillar in the UK Government’s ‘25 year environment plan’ which pledges that this generation will be the first to leave the environment in a better state than it found it.
The Environment Act requires the majority of planning consent in England to demonstrate a 10% gain in biodiversity (compared to pre-development), using a statutory biodiversity metric devised by DEFRA. (Rules for nationally significant infrastructure projects are expected from late 2025)
Biodiversity Net Gain can often be delivered within a development site. Where developers find that they do not have enough space on-site post-development to be able to generate a 10% uplift in biodiversity, and have to generate biodiversity units elsewhere off-site. In most cases, developers look to buy these units from other landowners rather than create them on their own land.
For Greater Manchester, BNG offers an opportunity to not just protect our depleted biodiversity but to restore some of that which has been lost.
Why work with the Greater Manchester Environment Fund?
Biodiversity Net Gain provides an incredible opportunity to restore nature on a ‘landscape scale’ across Greater Manchester.
GMEF is an independent charity and has strong relationships with local planning authorities and the biodiversity community across our city region.
We work closely with our partners to ensure that offsite supply sites are strategically located to deliver maximum benefit for the priorities identified within our Local nature Recovery Network Strategy.
Our ambition is that by working across the region to support, secure and sell offsite biodiversity units we will help to reduce duplication of resource, increase co-ordination and consistency; all of which should maximise the benefit of BNG for nature in Greater Manchester.
One of the key ways in which we will support BNG for nature in Greater Manchester is by acting as a Responsible Body to help landowners secure their land for offsite biodiversity units.
Find out more about our role as a Responsible Body below.
As a charity, any surplus funds generated on supply sites in our management will be re-invested into the natural environment within Greater Manchester through our existing fund management programmes.
Advantages of working at a Greater Manchester level:
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GMEF is targeting the most strategic sites that have been assessed for their value in contributing to the Greater Manchester Local Nature Recovery Network Strategy.
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Central co-ordination reduces risk of unit price disparity and challenge by developers.
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Centrally pooled BNG unit payments can be invested to generate more funds to support other schemes such as The Green Space Fund.
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Central co-ordination increases the ability for joined-up supply sites that prioritise impact on the Local Nature Recovery Network Strategy.
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Economy of scale will ensure a more cost effective approach that funds suitably qualified ecologists, within not for profit organisations. Knowledge and expertise provided by GMEF is crucial to avoid risk of schemes underselling restoration, maintenance and monitoring contracts, all of which increase liabilities through legal compliance.
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GMEF is committed to ensuring BNG maximises the amount of land improved.
Advantages of working at a local level:
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GMEF can support the prioritisation of sites to take forward from the Needs and Supply Assessment undertaken by Greater Manchester Ecology Unit.
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Site identification will maximise where investment is focused.
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Greater viability of securing upfront investment so that physical improvements on critical sites starts now rather than waiting for development. This ensures co-benefits are realised faster such as climate action plan, employment and training, flooding, health and wellbeing, etc.
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Early negotiations and communication with developers / consultant ecologists can be co-ordinated by GMEF.
How we can support:
Habitat Banking
Greater Manchester is seeking to embed Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) policy across its 10 districts to ensure sustainable development that measurably enhances biodiversity as part of its commitment to becoming a green city region.
To support these ambitions, GMEF is developing a Habitat Banking Facility to unlock private investment in local nature recovery across the city region in advance of the need to mitigate the impact of new developments.