Smaller schemes to be exempt from BNG

Developments of below 0.2 hectares will be exempt from biodiversity net gain requirements, according to the government.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has confirmed that smaller sites will not need to achieve a BNG improvement of 10%, "reducing costs for small SME developers and saving local planning authorities time and money".

This follows a consultation earlier this year on improving BNG for minor, medium and brownfield development.

DEFRA also said it would consult on an additional targeted exemption for brownfield residential development, considering a range of potential exemption sizes up to 2.5 hectares and definitions of brownfield.

“By focusing specifically on residential development and on brownfield land of lower ecological value, we will support housing while protecting the delivery of BNG elsewhere,” it stated.

It added that it would introduce measures to make offsite delivery of BNG “easier, quicker and cheaper”, as set out in the consultation.

DEFRA said that while “early evidence” suggested that BNG regulations, introduced in 2024, were working well for larger schemes, “some smaller developments and specific types of sites - in particular on brownfield land - are finding BNG more challenging and proportionately more expensive to deliver”.