Biodiversity Net Gain Legal Advisory Partnership (Blandy & Blandy)

The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) legislative regime requires that, for most planning application in England, developers achieve a biodiversity gain of at least 10% greater than the pre-development value. Where this cannot be achieved on-site, off-site biodiversity enhancements must be secured.

Alongside the complexity of meeting new BNG legislation, non-compliance can lead to delays in obtaining planning permissions, financial consequences, and reputational damage. This poses a risk for developers as these issues attract:

• Greater regulatory scrutiny

• Significant, and rising, legal costs

• Adverse impacts for future projects

• Public distrust in the sector’s credibility

• More hurdles in the way of achieving project consent

To navigate these stipulations and protect against potential pitfalls, our partnership with Blandy & Blandy means that landowners and developers can be assured that they are fulfilling the combined ecological and legal aspects of new BNG guidelines.

EPR are experts in quantifying required biodiversity gains and outlining the steps required for creating, maintaining, and monitoring the necessary habitats. Meanwhile, Blandy & Blandy’s specialist legal background in planning and the environment makes them adept at securing necessary legal agreements or conservation covenants, as well as facilitating the mechanisms for sale of surplus BNG units.

Consequently, our clients will have access to customised legal documentation that is tailored specifically to the needs of their project and supported by comprehensive ecological assessment.  This new combined service will ensure that your projects or investments deliver on their promises, abide by the legal framework, and even promote additional benefits for the local environment and key stakeholders.