Statutory biodiversity credit prices

Information about terms in the table of prices 

‘Distinctiveness’ is a measure based on the type of habitat and its distinguishing features. It measures different ecological factors, such as: 

• the rarity of the habitat 
• species richness within a habitat 

‘Broad’ and ‘specific’ habitat types are terms the biodiversity metric uses to describe different kinds of habitat. 

‘Broad habitat type’ describes the general habitat, for example grassland or wetland.  

‘Specific habitat type’ describes the habitat in more detail, for example traditional orchards or reedbeds. 

The prices in the table are per credit. If you buy statutory biodiversity credits, a ‘spatial risk multiplier’ (SRM) will apply, which doubles the amount of statutory credits you need. The SRM applies to statutory credits to ensure they do not compete with the development of the off-site market and remain a last resort. You must buy 2 statutory credits for every 1 biodiversity unit you need to compensate for. The statutory biodiversity metric tool will automatically calculate this multiplication for you. The SRM is not included in the prices in the table.  

For each habitat type in the table, you can see its ‘tier’. Statutory biodiversity credits are priced in tiers according to habitat type for area-based biodiversity units. There are separate prices for hedgerow and watercourse biodiversity units.

Area habitats

Low distinctiveness habitats

Habitat distinctiveness	Broad habitat type	Specific habitat type	Price per credit	Tier
Low	All	All	£42,000	A1

Medium distinctiveness habitats

Habitat distinctiveness	Broad habitat type	Specific habitat type	Price per credit	Tier
Medium	Heathland and shrub	All	£42,000	A1
Medium	Grassland	All	£42,000	A1
Medium	Individual trees	All	£42,000	A1
Medium	Urban	All	£42,000	A1
Medium	Cropland	All	£42,000	A1
Medium	Woodland and forest	All	£48,000	A2
Medium	Intertidal sediment	All	£48,000	A2
Medium	Lakes	Reservoirs	£125,000	A4
Medium	Lakes - ponds (non-priority habitat)	Ponds	£125,000	A4
Medium	Sparsely vegetated land	Other inland rock and scree	£125,000	A4

High distinctiveness habitats

Habitat distinctiveness	Broad habitat type	Specific habitat type	Price per credit	Tier
High	Wetland	Reedbeds	£42,000	A1
High	Grassland	Traditional orchards	£42,000	A1
High	Grassland	Lowland calcareous grassland	£48,000	A2
High	Grassland	Tall herb communities (H6430)	£48,000	A2
High	Grassland	Upland calcareous grassland	£48,000	A2
High	Heathland and shrub	Dunes with sea buckthorn	£48,000	A2
High	Heathland and shrub	Lowland heathland	£48,000	A2
High	Heathland and shrub	Upland heathland	£48,000	A2
High	Urban	Open mosaic habitats on previously developed land	£48,000	A2
High	Woodland and forest	Wet woodland	£66,000	A3
High	Woodland and forest	Felled	£66,000	A3
High	Woodland and forest	Upland birchwoods	£66,000	A3
High	Intertidal sediment	Littoral mud	£66,000	A3
High	Intertidal sediment	Littoral mixed sediments	£66,000	A3
High	Intertidal sediment	Littoral – biogenic reefs - mussels	£66,000	A3
High	Intertidal sediment	Littoral biogenic reefs - Sabellaria	£66,000	A3
High	Intertidal sediment	Features of littoral sediment	£66,000	A3
High	Intertidal sediment	Littoral muddy sand	£66,000	A3
High	Wetland mosaic	Floodplain wetland mosaic (CFGM)	£125,000	A4
High	Ponds	Ponds (priority habitat)	£125,000	A4
High	Ponds	Temporary lakes, ponds and pools	£125,000	A4
High	Coastal lagoons	Coastal lagoons	£125,000	A4
High	Rocky shore	High energy littoral rock	£125,000	A4
High	Rocky shore	Moderate energy littoral rock	£125,000	A4
High	Rocky shore	Low energy littoral rock	£125,000	A4
High	Rocky shore	Features of littoral rock	£125,000	A4
High	Coastal saltmarsh	Saltmarshes and saline reedbeds	£125,000	A4
High	Intertidal sediment	Littoral seagrass	£125,000	A4
High	Sparsely vegetated land	Coastal vegetated shingle	£125,000	A4
High	Sparsely vegetated land	Maritime cliff and slopes	£125,000	A4
High	Sparsely vegetated land	Inland rock outcrop and scree habitats	£125,000	A4
High	Woodland and forest	Upland mixed ashwoods	£125,000	A4
High	Woodland and forest	Native pine woodlands	£125,000	A4
High	Woodland and forest	Lowland mixed deciduous woodland	£125,000	A4
High	Woodland and forest	Lowland beech and yew woodland	£125,000	A4
High	Woodland and forest	Upland oakwood	£125,000	A4
High	Lakes	High alkalinity lakes	£650,000	A5
High	Lakes	Low alkalinity lakes	£650,000	A5
High	Lakes	Marl lakes	£650,000	A5
High	Lakes	Moderate alkalinity lakes	£650,000	A5
High	Lakes	Peat lakes	£650,000	A5

Linear habitats

Hedgerow

Habitat distinctiveness	Broad habitat type	Specific habitat type	Price per credit	Tier
Various	Hedgerow	All	£44,000	H

Watercourses

Habitat distinctiveness	Broad habitat type	Specific habitat type	Price per credit	Tier
Various	All watercourses	All	£230,000	W

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