Our Yorkshire and Humberside coffee morning looked at an introduction to biodiversity net gain (BNG) and how a minimum 10% BNG can be achieved on new development, with real project examples in the Yorkshire region. The Environment Bill introduces a mandatory requirement for new developments to have a biodiversity net gain (BNG) of 10%, calculated using the Biodiversity Metric 2.0 tool. However, we can also use this mandate to create new green spaces for local communities to enjoy, and to drive a wider environmental net gain. Integrating BNG into the planning system will provide a transformation in the way planning and development is delivered. Liam Price and Martina Girvan from Arcadis presented real project examples in the Yorkshire region, followed by James Copeland from NFU who presented future net gain opportunities for the agriculture industry.
