Environment Bill and Net Gain update by Julia Coneybeer

1. www.gov.uk/natural-england
Environment Bill and Net Gain
update
09 December 2020
Julia Coneybeer – Senior Advisor, Net Gain team

2. Environment Bill
• Covers range of key aspects – air quality,
water, waste & resource, nature &
biodiversity, conservation covenants
• Sets up Office for Environmental
Protection (OEP)
• Nature and biodiversity:
– Local Nature Recovery Strategies
– Biodiversity Net Gain
– Strengthened biodiversity duty on
public authorities

3. Environment Bill – the latest
• 1st Reading 30th January 2020
• Public Bill Committee Stage
• Covid -19 = DELAY
• Estimated spring/summer 2021
Royal Assent.
• Transition period – estimated
Spring/summer 2023
Biodiversity Net Gain becomes
mandatory
• Secondary legislation being
worked on

4. Biodiversity net gain
Net gain is an approach to development, and/
or land management, that aims to leave the
natural environment in a measurably better
state than it was beforehand.

5. Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain
Key Themes
• Measurable net gain
• Spatial delivery hierarchy
(on-site, local + strategic)
• Benefits for nature, people, LPA + developer
• Does not replace existing protections/legislation

6. Types of Net Gain

7. Biodiversity Net Gain Now
• 25 Year Environment Plan
• National Planning Policy Framework
(NPPF)
• Planning Practice Guidance (PPG)
• Design Guides – NIC + MHCLG
• National Policy Statements
• Biodiversity metric 3.0

8. Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain – Key
Components
The Environment Bill
• England only
• Amends the Town & Country Planning Act
(TCPA)
• Likely to become law – 2023
• Minimum 10% gain required calculated
using Biodiversity Metric & approval of
net gain plan
• Habitat secured at least 30 years
• Delivered, on-site, off-site or via statutory
biodiversity credits
• National register for net gain delivery sites
• Does not change existing legal protections
• Does not apply to Nationally Significant
Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) or Marine

9. Additional Related Components of the
Environment Bill
Local Nature Recovery Strategies
• Locally developed, spatial strategies for
nature working within a national framework.
• Identify opportunities and priorities for
enhancing the natural environment
• Inform and underpin the national Nature
Recovery Network (NRN)
• Can be used to target net gain delivery
Conservation Covenants
• Legally binding private voluntary
agreements between landowners &
responsible bodies
• Can be used as alternative to planning
obligations to secure BNG outcomes

10. Environment Bill – Envisaged Biodiversity
Net Gain Process

11. Other workstreams
• British Standard – BS8683 due
early ‘21. A process standard for
voluntary use by BNG projects
• Marine Net Gain – proposals under
early development for offshore wind +
wider application
• Environmental Net Gain – working
with NCC + Government. Launch of a
voluntary tool in 2021 that can be
combined with the biodiversity metric
• Planning White Paper – Emphasis
on strategic approach + design &
codes

12. Further Information
• 25 Year Environment Plan https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/25-year-
environment-plan
• National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_d
ata/file/810197/NPPF_Feb_2019_revised.pdf
• Planning Practice Guidance https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/planning-
practice-guidance
• The Environment Bill https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2019-21/environment.html
• National Infrastructure Commission Design Principles
https://nic.org.uk/app/uploads/NIC-Design-Principles.pdf
• MHCLG National Design Guide
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_d
ata/file/843468/National_Design_Guide.pdf
• The Biodiversity Metric 2.0 – beta test version
http://nepubprod.appspot.com/publication/5850908674228224
• Biodiversity Net Gain: Good Practice Principles for Development
(CIRIA/CIEEM/IEMA) https://cieem.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Biodiversity-Net-Gain-
Principles.pdf