Change of https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-you-can-count-towards-a-developments-biodiversity-net-gain

Change description : 2026-08-25 09:00:00: We have clarified the rules about creation and enhancement activities that can count in full, can count up to no net loss or do not count at all towards biodiversity net gain (BNG).This update also introduces guidance on habitat enhancements and mitigation within protected sites, and how they can count towards your BNG. The guidance also includes requirements when carrying out such activities within a protected site. [Guidance and regulation]

Showing diff : 2026-06-02 09:02:54.103085849 +00:00..2026-08-25 08:08:04.145285047 +00:00

Guidance

What you can count towards a development’s biodiversity net gain

How developers can use habitat creation or enhancements to count towards their biodiversity net gain (BNG).

From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
PublishedPublished:
2 May 2023
Last updatedupdated:
225 JuneAugust 2026 — See all updates

Applies to England

This page applies to:

  • developments that need planning permission
  • nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), from 2 November 2026

If you already need to create or enhance habitat as part of your development, there are rules about how you may be able to count this towards your 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG).  ). These rules make sure that BNG delivers actions beyond what is already required through statutory obligations or policies.

ExamplesThere ofare otherhabitat schemes and activities that you maycan:

  • count bein ablefull

  • count up to no net loss

  • not count include: at all

How these schemes and activities can count towards your BNG depends on whether you create these habitats as:

  • ‌habitat

    mitigation and compensation actions for other impacts

  • enhancing actions

The same rules on what you can count apply across both on-site and off-site BNG. However, any off-site habitat creation orand enhancement deliveredmust be registered on the biodiversity gain sites register for it to complycount withtowards certainyour statutoryBNG.

Special obligationsrules orapply policies,to suchdelivering asBNG greenon infrastructureprotected sites,. sustainableProtected drainage,sites orare nutrientareas mitigation 

  • ‌mitigationthat have a high level of legal and compensationpolicy measuresprotection forbecause of their natural and cultural importance. You should avoid impacts to protected sites andwherever speciespossible.

    What (foryou example,can suitablecount alternativein naturalfull

    You greenmay spacebe (SANG)able to count in full enhancing activities delivered to comply with certain statutory obligations or policies. For example:  

    What

    You you can countsatisfy inall full,of inyour partBNG orthrough notthese atenhancing all

    activities, including up to no net loss as well as your 10% net gain (or more where applicable).

    Enhancing protected sites for BNG purposes

    You cannotmay includewant someto habitatcarry schemesout inenhancing activities within a protected site to contribute to your BNG. calculationsYou atcan all.count Therethese activities in arefull towards your BNG if both the following conditions apply: 

    • you do not carry out these enhancing activities for other schemesstatutory thatobligations  

    • there are no adverse impacts on the protected site

    Before you can include: enhance habitat within a protected site, you must: 

    You -must foradhere enhancingto actions,the suchfollowing asrules greento infrastructureprovide (aenhancements developerwithin cana satisfyprotected allsite: 

    • terrestrial theirprotected BNGsites requirements– throughyou can enhance the works,non-designated receivingfeatures 110% of theirthe biodiversityprotected unitssite throughproviding them) there are no adverse impacts on the protected site 

    • in

      intertidal partprotected -sites for– mitigationyou andcan enhance compensationany actions,intertidal suchhabitat ason nutrienta protected site, including any designated features

    What you can count up to no net loss

    If you are carrying out habitat mitigation (ator leastcompensation 10%activities required through statutory obligations or policies, some of thethese can developer’sonly count up to biodiversityno unitsnet loss. Your additional 10% net gain above no net loss must come from additionalseparate activities other than mitigation and compensation)  

    • compensation.  

    Example:Activities that count up to ano developernet alreadyloss include: 

    • nutrient hasneutrality toor domitigation

    • mitigation or nutrientcompensation to protected mitigationspecies or protected tosites  

    • river compensatebasin formanagement impactsplan on(RBMP) mitigation 

    • suitable protectedalternative species.natural Thisgreen countsspace in(SANG)

    • environmental impact partassessment mitigation  

    • mitigation towardsor BNGcompensation to functionally linked land (FLL,) 

    • district level licensing schemes 

    • sustainable sodrainage systems (SuDS) at– leastwhen 10%part of theirnutrient totalneutrality

    Mitigation (110%)or BNGcompensation shouldto comeprotected fromsites

    You measuresmay enhance whichhabitats arewithin nota nutrientprotected mitigation.site Theas developmentmitigation needsor tocompensation for achieveother 11statutory biodiversityobligations or units,policies, if soagreed nutrientwith the consenting body.  

    Any mitigation canor countcompensation for 10impacts ofon theseprotected units.sites Atcan leastonly count 1up to unitno shouldnet comeloss. fromYou otherwill on-siteneed orto off-sitedeliver additional measures gainsto ormeet statutoryyour biodiversitynet credits. gain. 

    Example

    TheYour samedevelopment has rulesa applybaseline biodiversity value of 10 units. The development works will result in the loss of habitats equivalent to 5 biodiversity units.  

    In addition, you need to whatdo habitat creation youto mitigate canfor impacts countthe whetherdevelopment on-sitewill orhave off-site.on Fora nearby protected site (for example, ifprovide somethingSANG). These canworks onlycreate 6 biodiversity units countbut, inbecause partthis whenis takingmitigation placeactivity off-site,that itmust be agreed with the consenting authority, you can alsoonly count 5 of onlythese units. countThis inwill partbring whenyour on-site,total andback viceto 10 units, versa. giving you the equivalent of no net loss. 

    How

    You tomust therefore countdeliver an otheradditional schemes1 towardsunit yourto achieve your 10% BNG

    If. This unit youmust wantcome tofrom count other habitat creation or enhancementenhancement activities specifically for schemethe workpurpose towardsof your BNG, youor from those mustactivities includethat can itcount in infull. This your: 

    • metriccan calculation  
    • biodiversityinclude additional gainhabitat plan 

    Forenhancement example,works ifon youthe aremitigation countingsite workitself, forother anotheron-site schemeor inoff-site gains, or partthe purchase of statutory biodiversity credits.

    To count mitigation or compensation to protected sites towards your BNG, you shouldmust enteradhere itto intothe yourfollowing metricrules: 

    • terrestrial calculationprotected likesites any– otheryou habitatcan creationonly orenhance enhancementthe work.non-designated Youfeatures shouldof alsothe explainprotected clearlysite, inproviding yourthere biodiversityare gainno planadverse howimpacts aton leastthe 10%protected ofsite 

    • intertidal yourprotected BNGsites is– comingyou fromcan enhance any intertidal habitat creationon ora enhancementprotected outsidesite, theincluding scheme. any designated features

    RulesWhat fordoes eachnot scheme

    at all. For example: 

    • notice 

    • calculation  

    • Namecount ofat schemeHowall

    You itcannot caninclude countsome towardshabitat activities towards your BNG

    Sustainable

    restocking urbanconditions drainagerelating (SUDs)

    		Into fulla (intree partfelling whenlicence partor ofa nutrientrestocking neutrality)
    Green

    remediation infrastructure

    		Inunder full
    Riverthe basinenvironmental managementdamage planregulations 

  • remedial habitat (RBMP)creation or enhancement

    		• In full
    Rivercarried basinout managementunder planan (RBMP)existing mitigationInplanning part
    Nutrientobligation or neutralitycondition such oras a landfill mitigationInrestoration part
    Suitableplan

    How alternativeto naturalinclude other activities in greenyour spaceBNG 

    To count other habitat (SANGcreation or enhancement activities towards your BNG)

    		In, part
    Environmentalyou impactmust assessmentinclude them in compensationInyour:  

    • metric part

    Mitigation

    biodiversity orgain compensationplan – tofor adevelopments specialthat areaneed ofplanning conservation,permission 

  • outline and specialupdated protectionor area,phase biodiversity gain orplans – protectedfor NSIPs 

    • If you species

    		Inare part
    Mitigationcounting orwork compensationfor toanother activity in functionallypart linkedtowards landyour (FLLBNG)In, part
    NatureSpaceyou districtshould licensingInenter part
    Naturalit Englandinto districtyour levelmetric licensingIncalculation part,like butany notother availablehabitat yet
    Restockingcreation conditionsor relatingenhancement towork. aYou treeshould fellingalso licenceexplain orclearly ain your biodiversity restockinggain noticeNotplan allowed
    Remediationhow underat theleast environmental10% damageof regulationsNotyour allowed

    GiveBNG feedbackis oncoming thisfrom guidancehabitat bycreation completingor aenhancement shortoutside surveythe activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 2 May 2023
    Last updated 225 JuneAugust 2026 href="#full-history">+— show Show all updates

    1. We have clarified the rules about creation and enhancement activities that can count in full, can count up to no net loss or do not count at all towards biodiversity net gain (BNG). This update also introduces guidance on habitat enhancements and mitigation within protected sites, and how they can count towards your BNG. The guidance also includes requirements when carrying out such activities within a protected site.

    2. Updated guidance to show it also applies to nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs). Biodiversity net gain will be mandatory for NSIPs from 2 November 2026.

    3. Updated to add that NatureSpace’s district licensing scheme counts in part towards BNG, and clarify that counting Natural England’s district level licensing (DLL) in part towards BNG is not available yet. Natural England is working on how DLL may be able to count towards BNG in future.

    4. Updated to clarify that counting district licensing in part towards BNG is not available yet. Natural England is working on how it may be able to count towards BNG in future.

    5. Updated to state that biodiversity net gain (BNG) is mandatory from 12 February 2024. Also completely updated throughout to clarify the rules on what you can count in full, in part or not at all, including a table showing rules for specific schemes, and how to count other schemes towards BNG.

    6. First published.

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    Update history

    2026-08-25 09:00
    We have clarified the rules about creation and enhancement activities that can count in full, can count up to no net loss or do not count at all towards biodiversity net gain (BNG).This update also introduces guidance on habitat enhancements and mitigation within protected sites, and how they can count towards your BNG. The guidance also includes requirements when carrying out such activities within a protected site.

    2026-06-02 10:00
    Updated guidance to show it also applies to nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs). Biodiversity net gain will be mandatory for NSIPs from 2 November 2026.