Published on Thursday 21 July 2022
Next week, BCP Council’s Cabinet will consider its early delivery and proactive methods related to Biodiversity Net Gain across the BCP area
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an approach to development, or land management, that aims to leave biodiversity in a measurably better state than before. In November 2021, the government introduced the Environment Act. This called for BNG to be a statutory requirement in the development process, but did not require BNG to be implemented until 2023.
Last year, Cabinet considered a report on BNG which outlined initial actions to implement on a wider scale in the BCP area. This second report makes further recommendations, which will see BCP Council lead the way in the delivery of BNG long before the government deadline. It will also mean that BCP Council will go further than the government policy, by extending BNG to include all development in the BCP area. Whereas, if the council adopted the government policy it would likely mean only 15% of development in our area would meet the threshold to deliver BNG.
The report also recommends an assessment of existing biodiversity of the council’s estate, the preparation of a BNG strategy and implementation plan and the appointment of a fixed term Ecologist to work on the project.
Councillor Philip Broadhead, Deputy Leader of the Council and Portfolio Holder for Development, Growth and Regeneration, said: "I’m proud of the proactive stance that BCP Council is taking in relation to Biodiversity Net Gain. I made a commitment six months ago that we would bring forward the implementation of BNG at the earliest opportunity, and not wait for the deadlines set by government. We know that we need to do all we can to safeguard and protect our greenspaces and biodiversity, but locally there is a development need, so we need to make sure we mitigate the impact of development by implementing BNG as soon as possible.
"We have set our strong position on BNG and go further than government requirements, but BNG isn’t just about the numbers. We also need to make sure it is delivered in the right places and to a good standard- with a long-term vision. BNG is a great opportunity for us to set the highest minimum expectation and standard, so we support our biodiverse and natural environment for future generations across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole."
BCP Council declared a climate and ecological emergency in July 2019 and subsequently published its commitment to improve biodiversity, and more specifically develop policies in the development of a new BCP Local Plan to create BNG.
You can view the agenda and cabinet report here