Statutory biodiversity metric tools and guides
Tools and guides for measuring the biodiversity value of habitat for biodiversity net gain (BNG).
- From:
- Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
- Published
- 29 November 2023
- Last updated
-
621AugustFebruary20242025 — See all updates
Applies to England
Documents
Statutory biodiversity metric: user guide
PDF, 1.86 MB, 79 pages
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Statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool (macro enabled)
4.11 MB
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Statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool (macro disabled)
MS Excel Spreadsheet, 4.04 MB
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Small sites metric (statutory biodiversity metric): user guide
PDF, 831 KB, 53 pages
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Small sites metric (statutory biodiversity metric): calculation tool
874 KB
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Statutory biodiversity metric condition assessments
MS Excel Spreadsheet, 372 KB
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Details
You can use any version of the statutory metric tools for BNG calculations. Updates will not affect biodiversity unit outputs. Details of any updates will be listed in the version history of each document.
If you are a company who uses data from the metric calculation tools for your own BNG software, you can sign up to be notified in advance of any changes to the tools, to ensure you are able to incorporate them into your software.
You can view all of the BNG guidance in the BNG collection.
The statutory biodiversity metric tool and user guide
The tool allows the calculation of biodiversity value for the purpose of BNG for developments. The user guide has the information needed to use the statutory biodiversity metric tool.
Statutory biodiversity metric condition assessments
These provide condition assessment criteria for all relevant metric habitats. This allows a standard approach to collecting and inputting the correct data for habitat condition.
Small sites statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool and user guide
The small sites biodiversity metric tool allows the calculation of biodiversity value for the purpose of BNG for small developments. The user guide provides all the information needed to use the small sites biodiversity metric tool.
Moving from older versions of the biodiversity metric
‘Transferring data from 4.0 to the statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool’ explains how to copy over from previous versions of the biodiversity metric. There is information on the changes since 4.0 and more tools, case studies and technical detail available from Natural England.
Updates to this page
Published 29 November 2023
Last updated 621 AugustFebruary 2024
2025
+ show all updates
-
Companies who use data from the metric calculation tools for their own BNG software can now sign up to be notified in advance of any changes to the tools.
-
Updated to confirm that you can use any version, including previously published versions, of the statutory metric tools for BNG calculations.
-
-
Replaced the incorrect small sites metric calculation tool with a corrected version.
-
-
Minor updates within the metric tools and user guides. A summary of the changes is outlined in the version history at the start of each document.
-
-
Updated box at top of page to state that biodiversity net gain (BNG) is mandatory from 12 February 2024 and removed the 'draft guidance' label. Added information on transferring data from 4.0 to the statutory biodiversity metric.
Updated user guides to provide further detail and clarifications, including the assessment of strategic significance and when to record individual trees. Updated calculation tools to correct some labelling errors, minor formula errors and expand width of columns. Updated condition assessments to remove redundant references, reflect the inclusion of sea buckthorn as an invasive coastal species and align the assessment of individual trees to the clarified approach in the user guide.
-
-
Amended the statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool to fix an error in the irreplaceable habitats dropdown and minor changes to the working of the tool such as ensuring the rows auto populate correctly and cells adjust their height so error messages can be read.
-
-
First published.
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2025-02-21 12:00
Companies who use data from the metric calculation tools for their own BNG software can now sign up to be notified in advance of any changes to the tools.
2024-08-06 13:07
Updated to confirm that you can use any version, including previously published versions, of the statutory metric tools for BNG calculations.
2024-07-24 15:08
Replaced the incorrect small sites metric calculation tool with a corrected version.
2024-07-23 10:00
Minor updates within the metric tools and user guides. A summary of the changes is outlined in the version history at the start of each document.
2024-02-12 12:33
Updated box at top of page to state that biodiversity net gain (BNG) is mandatory from 12 February 2024 and removed the ‘draft guidance’ label. Added information on transferring data from 4.0 to the statutory biodiversity metric.Updated user guides to provide further detail and clarifications, including the assessment of strategic significance and when to record individual trees. Updated calculation tools to correct some labelling errors, minor formula errors and expand width of columns. Updated condition assessments to remove redundant references, reflect the inclusion of sea buckthorn as an invasive coastal species and align the assessment of individual trees to the clarified approach in the user guide.
2023-12-15 14:38
Amended the statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool to fix an error in the irreplaceable habitats dropdown and minor changes to the working of the tool such as ensuring the rows auto populate correctly and cells adjust their height so error messages can be read.
2023-11-29 14:27
First published.
Details
You can use any version of the statutory metric tools for BNG calculations. Updates will not affect biodiversity unit outputs. Details of any updates will be listed in the version history of each document.
If you are a company who uses data from the metric calculation tools for your own BNG software, you can sign up to be notified in advance of any changes to the tools, to ensure you are able to incorporate them into your software.
You can view all of the BNG guidance in the BNG collection.
The statutory biodiversity metric tool and user guide
The tool allows the calculation of biodiversity value for the purpose of BNG for developments. The user guide has the information needed to use the statutory biodiversity metric tool.
Statutory biodiversity metric condition assessments
These provide condition assessment criteria for all relevant metric habitats. This allows a standard approach to collecting and inputting the correct data for habitat condition.
Small sites statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool and user guide
The small sites biodiversity metric tool allows the calculation of biodiversity value for the purpose of BNG for small developments. The user guide provides all the information needed to use the small sites biodiversity metric tool.
Moving from older versions of the biodiversity metric
‘Transferring data from 4.0 to the statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool’ explains how to copy over from previous versions of the biodiversity metric. There is information on the changes since 4.0 and more tools, case studies and technical detail available from Natural England.
Updates to this page
Last updated
-
Companies who use data from the metric calculation tools for their own BNG software can now sign up to be notified in advance of any changes to the tools.
-
Updated to confirm that you can use any version, including previously published versions, of the statutory metric tools for BNG calculations.
-
Replaced the incorrect small sites metric calculation tool with a corrected version.
-
Minor updates within the metric tools and user guides. A summary of the changes is outlined in the version history at the start of each document.
-
Updated box at top of page to state that biodiversity net gain (BNG) is mandatory from 12 February 2024 and removed the 'draft guidance' label. Added information on transferring data from 4.0 to the statutory biodiversity metric. Updated user guides to provide further detail and clarifications, including the assessment of strategic significance and when to record individual trees. Updated calculation tools to correct some labelling errors, minor formula errors and expand width of columns. Updated condition assessments to remove redundant references, reflect the inclusion of sea buckthorn as an invasive coastal species and align the assessment of individual trees to the clarified approach in the user guide.
-
Amended the statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool to fix an error in the irreplaceable habitats dropdown and minor changes to the working of the tool such as ensuring the rows auto populate correctly and cells adjust their height so error messages can be read.
-
First published.
Sign up for emails or print this page
Update history
2025-02-21 12:00
Companies who use data from the metric calculation tools for their own BNG software can now sign up to be notified in advance of any changes to the tools.
2024-08-06 13:07
Updated to confirm that you can use any version, including previously published versions, of the statutory metric tools for BNG calculations.
2024-07-24 15:08
Replaced the incorrect small sites metric calculation tool with a corrected version.
2024-07-23 10:00
Minor updates within the metric tools and user guides. A summary of the changes is outlined in the version history at the start of each document.
2024-02-12 12:33
Updated box at top of page to state that biodiversity net gain (BNG) is mandatory from 12 February 2024 and removed the ‘draft guidance’ label. Added information on transferring data from 4.0 to the statutory biodiversity metric.Updated user guides to provide further detail and clarifications, including the assessment of strategic significance and when to record individual trees. Updated calculation tools to correct some labelling errors, minor formula errors and expand width of columns. Updated condition assessments to remove redundant references, reflect the inclusion of sea buckthorn as an invasive coastal species and align the assessment of individual trees to the clarified approach in the user guide.
2023-12-15 14:38
Amended the statutory biodiversity metric calculation tool to fix an error in the irreplaceable habitats dropdown and minor changes to the working of the tool such as ensuring the rows auto populate correctly and cells adjust their height so error messages can be read.
2023-11-29 14:27
First published.