<p>Small sites will be exempt from biodiversity net gain requirements until April 2024, the government has stated in its response to its consultation on biodiversity net gain.</p><p>Under the government’s plans within the Environment Act, housebuilders’ sites must achieve biodiversity net gain (BNG) of at least 10% from November 2023. But in the response to its consultation, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) said that to “allow a longer period for developers and local planning authorities to adapt and prepare for the high volume for minor applications”, it would extend the transition period by five months to next April for small sites.</p><p>DEFRA has defined small sites for BNG exemption as schemes of between one and nine homes “inclusive,” in an area of less than 1 hectare. Or where the number of homes to be provided is not yet known, a site area of less than 0.5 hectares.</p><p>With phased development and development subject to further applications, DEFRA said in its response that it would carry out its proposal that these would require additional BNG information. This would need to set out how BNG would be achieved across the whole site on a phase-by-phase basis. </p><p>DEFRA stated that this type …