Biodiversity Net Gain
The landscape for developers and house builders has changed dramatically in the last generation. It has moved from the post war era of building large housing estates, tall tower blocks and new towns, with little or no regard for the intended residents of these future slums. Even less thought was given to the wildlife habitats these developments were destroying in the quest for new housing.
We have now moved to a position where planning restrictions are such that developers are required to provide leisure space and infrastructure on large developments and ensure adequate parking even on smaller projects. Consideration now also needs to be given to the biodiversity of the site and the surrounding area to protect the wildlife habitats with a number of native species now being given legal protected status.
Biodiversity refers to all the different species of life to be found in one area. This includes animals, insects, birds, plants, fungi, and microorganisms like bacteria all of which make up our natural world. Each of these work together in ecosystems to help maintain balance and support life.
Surveys must now be undertaken before the commencement of a construction project to highlight the presence of these protected species such as bats, newts and dormice. New developments must demonstrate that not only will the development not be harmful to the biological diversity of the site and the surrounding area, it must also adhere to the legal requirement for improvements to the wildlife habitats by way of a measurable improvement to the biological diversity of the area, referred to as a biodiversity net gain.
Biodiversity net gain can be defined as an approach to development projects and land management, that aims to improve the natural environment on and around an area in a measurably better state than it was previously. It delivers definable and measurable improvements to the biodiversity of an area by creating or enhancing habitats connected to a development. Biodiversity net gain can be achieved either by on-site or off-site measures or a combination of both. A habitat is defined as the area and resources used by a living organism or grouping of animals and plants. Bats, for instance live in roosts and may require different roosting conditions at different times of year. Some species of bats prefer hollow trees, some like caves, while others shelter in buildings, behind hanging tiles and boarding or in roof spaces. Around three quarters of British bats roost in trees, the remaining species tend to favour human-made structures because of a lack of suitable and available tree habitat.
There is a growing recognition that if we continue to destroy the natural habitats of wildlife, we will be contributing to their extinction. These species range from orangutans in the jungles of Borneo to bats and dormice closer to home, as well as insects which play an important role in biodiversity by helping to keep the balance of our ecosystem.
Developments of all sizes are now are now being directed to look at all aspects of biodiversity associated with their construction and many local authorities will require surveys of sites and a report detailing any evidence of the presence of any endangered species such as bats, newts or dormice. They will require information about the proposed sites along with any species, habitats or features that could be affected and any likely impact of the development on any habitats or species identified in the survey. Certain surveys can only be carried out a specific time of year by an appropriately qualified and experienced person and be carried out to established standards using recognised methodologies. No excavation or construction work should be undertaken until all of the surveys have been completed.
Look at any area of grass or the trunks of trees and you will find little insects getting on with their daily lives, plants thriving and growing, often to feed insects or small animals. Hedgerows are home to a variety of insect and bird species as well as housing various burrowing creatures among their roots. All of these are part of our ecosystem which keeps our world in balance and therefore need to be looked after when we plan our new building projects. This is why, when we design new developments of any size we are now being asked to look at whether alternative designs or locations have been considered which would lessen the impact on the biodiversity of the site as well as other measures that can be taken to reduce disruption to the local ecosystem.
It is impossible to disturb areas of land and not damage the ecosystem, so ways of compensating for the disruption and mitigating the damage are encouraged. Local authorities are now taking this very seriously and have employed either Biodiversity Officers or Ecology Teams as part of their planning departments and have issued Checklists, such as the example below to guide developers through the process when applying for planning permission.
https://www.hants.gov.uk/landplanningandenvironment/environment/biodiversity/development/checklists
A healthy ecosystem helps to provide the planet with an improved carbon footprint as plants and trees store carbon dioxide which is one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately global warming. This is why governments are not just looking to preserve the existing biodiversity of new build sites but are looking for a biodiversity net gain. In other words, an improved biodiversity in comparison to the original landscape.
This may mean that on larger developments, landscaping would become a requirement, with trees and shrubs being planted, areas of grass being planned and where possible, existing mature trees and shrubs being retained as features of the development
Biodiversity net gain is not just restricted to construction sites and building developments, larger scale projects are coming under the microscope and the way we treat our natural resources are becoming more tightly legislated. The way we treat our forests is being more closely scrutinised as these are an important part of our fight against global warming and the survival of the planet and the myriads of species it supports