Register a biodiversity gain site

Before you apply

You’ll need:

• the title deeds or lease agreement to prove ownership

• written authorisation from the landowner or leaseholder if you’re applying on their behalf

• a document or image showing the land boundary – this must not include any personal information, like a landowner’s name

• a legal agreement that secures the land for at least 30 years – this must be a planning obligation (Section 106 agreement) or conservation covenant

• completed statutory biodiversity metric tool calculations that include information about all the land secured by the legal agreement

• a habitat management and monitoring plan (this may be within your legal agreement)

• a local land charge search certificate

Registration fees

It costs £639 to register a biodiversity gain site. You must pay within 28 days of submitting your application.

What happens after you apply

We will let you know within 6 weeks if:

• we need more information from you
• your application to register your biodiversity gain site has been accepted or rejected

If we accept your application, you will get an email with a gain site reference number. This is unique to your biodiversity gain site.

If we reject your application, we will let you know why.  

If you also want to record allocation of off-site gains to a development

You can apply to register a biodiversity site and allocate to a development at the same time.

Start now

Signing into this service

You’ll need a Government Gateway account and a Defra account to sign into this service.

If you do not have a Government Gateway account or a Defra account, you can set both up when you use this service for the first time.

Saving your progress

You can save your application and come back to it at any time.

Continue with a saved application

Withdrawals and refunds 

Once we have made a decision on your application you cannot withdraw it. Refunds will not be given.  

You can read the terms and conditions for more information on withdrawals, refunds and how we approve or reject applications.

Contact us if you need help 

Telephone: 0300 060 3900

Opening times:

• March to September – Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm
• October to February – Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm3pm

Closed on public holidays.

Find out about call charges.

Email: biodiversitynetgainenquiries@naturalengland.org.uk

We aim to reply within 10 working days.