Posted on January 19th, 2026

 

BNG can feel like one more planning hurdle until you realise it’s now tied to how quickly your application progresses, how smoothly conditions are discharged, and how confident a case officer feels signing off the paperwork. In Shropshire, the quickest projects are usually the ones that treat biodiversity as part of the design and documentation from day one, not a last-minute add-on.

 

Biodiversity Net Gain in Shropshire: The Basics

Biodiversity Net Gain (often shortened to BNG) is a legal planning requirement in England that aims to leave habitats in a measurably better state after development. Most applicable developments must deliver a minimum 10% uplift in biodiversity value, calculated using the statutory metric and then secured for the long term.

If you’re a landowner, Biodiversity Net Gain may come up when you’re looking at development potential, land promotion, or habitat creation opportunities linked to off-site units. If you’re a developer, it becomes a project deliverable with a clear paper trail: baseline habitat, post-development habitat proposals, and a plan that demonstrates the uplift and how it will be maintained.

Shropshire planning teams also highlight the mandatory 10% requirement and point applicants towards use of the statutory metric. A key point that trips people up is that BNG is not a “nice-to-have” ecology statement. It’s part of the planning process through a biodiversity gain plan condition, meaning development generally cannot lawfully begin until the plan is approved.

 

Biodiversity Net Gain Rules and Key Dates

At a national level, mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain began for major developments in February 2024, with smaller developments following in April 2024.

For Shropshire projects, the practical takeaway is simple: if your application is not exempt, you should assume BNG applies and plan for it early. Shropshire Council’s own information points applicants towards mandatory 10% net gain expectations as part of the planning process.

Another update worth noting for 2026 planning conversations is the Government’s announced intention to introduce an area-based exemption for smaller sites up to 0.2 hectares as part of reforms to the system. This has been announced publicly, but changes like this typically need the supporting legal steps before they fully take effect, so you still need to follow the current process unless your planning authority confirms otherwise.

 

Biodiversity Net Gain on Small Sites

Small schemes often feel like they shouldn’t be caught by a “big” policy, but small sites are very much part of mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain. For these projects, there’s a simplified calculation approach called the Small Sites Metric, created to make BNG delivery more workable for minor development.

If you’re looking for a “Small Sites Metric BNG calculation service”, the real value is not just the spreadsheet output. It’s the logic around it: mapping that matches the red line boundary, habitat types correctly translated into the metric, and a design that avoids accidental losses that push the unit target higher than it needs to be.

A simple checklist can help keep small developments moving without surprises:

• Confirm early whether your site falls under the Small Sites Metric route, and what data inputs will be expected

• Keep habitat mapping clear and consistent across drawings, metric inputs, and the planning submission

• Protect what can be retained on-site, since retention often reduces the uplift you need to “buy back” later

• Decide early whether you’ll need off-site units, especially when space on-site is tight

After that, the aim is to connect the paperwork to the buildable layout. When the design, metric, and biodiversity gain plan tell the same story, approval becomes far more straightforward.

 

Biodiversity Net Gain: On-Site vs Off-Site

Most projects deliver Biodiversity Net Gain through one of three routes: on-site habitat creation/enhancement, off-site units, or statutory biodiversity credits as a last resort.

On-site is often the cleanest option for planning because it keeps the story contained within the development boundary. It can also align well with drainage features, buffers, boundary planting, and open space that the scheme may already need. The challenge is space, future management, and making sure habitat areas are not later treated as “leftover land” during value engineering.

Off-site is where many Shropshire projects land, especially constrained sites or schemes where on-site habitat would compromise the layout. This is also where keywords like “Buy off-site biodiversity units Shropshire” come in. Off-site delivery can involve creating or enhancing habitat on land away from the development, or purchasing units from a habitat bank.

 

Biodiversity Net Gain Plans That Pass Review

A biodiversity gain plan is the document that pulls the whole Biodiversity Net Gain story together: baseline units, post-development units, and how the uplift will be delivered and maintained. Government guidance frames it as the plan that shows how the development will achieve BNG, and the legal framework ties it to the planning process through a condition that must be discharged.

If you want fewer delays, the plan needs to read like a complete and consistent record. That means:

• A baseline backed by clear mapping and habitat descriptions

• Metric outputs that match the submitted layout and habitat proposals

• A delivery route (on-site/off-site/credits) that is clearly evidenced

• Long-term management that is realistic, measurable, and aligned with planning conditions

Shropshire’s local context also matters. Local nature recovery priorities, local validation expectations, and how case officers interpret evidence can all affect how smoothly the process runs, so local experience helps when preparing a submission.

 

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Conclusion

Biodiversity Net Gain is now part of real-world project delivery in Shropshire, not an optional add-on. For landowners, it can shape how land value and habitat opportunities are considered. For developers, it can influence programme risk, design choices, and the speed of planning approval. The most successful applications treat BNG as a practical workflow: baseline work that matches the metric, a clear delivery route for the uplift, and a biodiversity gain plan that holds together under scrutiny.

At Severn Gorge Environmental, we provide regulation-ready BNG Assessments that satisfy Shropshire planning authorities. Book your site assessment today. If you’d like to talk through your site or timeline, call 01952 587130 or email [email protected].