LANDSCAPE & GROUNDS MAINTENANCE
NATURE BY NUMBERS: THE ART OF BIODIVERSE LANDSCAPING
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is an essential requirement for developers and an emerging challenge in outdoor facilities management. Tony Robinson, Senior Ecologist at OUTCO, explores the practical realities of BNG, outlining the hurdles and highlighting how expert support can turn compliance into opportunity.
In its simplest sense, BNG is the idea that if you build on a site, you must ensure that habitats for wildlife are left in a better state than before. However, this isn’t as easy as it sounds. Since 2021, there has been a legal obligation on developers in England to make their improvements measurable and to deliver a biodiversity net gain of 10%. But 10% of what? Despite the clear-cut obligation and concrete targets, understanding how to assess and quantify the existing level of nature on a site and measure improvements is still an emerging science. And this isn’t just a challenge for developers: Landowners are not only responsible for creating or enhancing habitat, but also legally obliged to manage that habitat for at least 30 years to achieve that 10% target. As a result, achieving this goal will continue to fall into the remit for any outdoor FM teams or grounds maintenance providers responsible for a site for years to come.
The challenge of quantification The law provides guidance as to how to measure biodiversity. Biodiversity Net Gain was made mandatory in England by Schedule 14 of the Environment Act 2021 which described statutory biodiversity units and a process of calculating these using a standard set of tools to calculate and quantify biodiversity. This allows for ecologists to assess a habitat before a development and determine what would be needed to replace and improve on any habitat loss. This credit system also makes it
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possible for developers to compensate for any biodiversity loss on site by developing other sites or by buying off- site credits. Indeed, at OUTCO, we’re working alongside several clients with significant property portfolios seeking to achieve biodiversity net gain not just to compensate for onsite developments but also to provide credits elsewhere in the country.
Putting theory into practice Despite the growing emphasis on biodiversity, there is widespread confusion in the industry and even ecologists can struggle with the complexity of BNG reports. A key issue is the time required to replace lost habitats. For instance, the re-establishment of an oak woodland could take significantly longer than the stipulated 30-year timeframe, while the transformation of grassland into wildflower meadows could have unintended consequences for existing wildlife. There’s considerable diversity in the environments too: adding 10% biodiversity to a relatively sterile London suburb could be achieved simply through modest levels of planting, whereas achieving 10% in the Dorset countryside is a far bigger challenge. Factors such as local ecology, surrounding landscapes, and existing wildlife must be carefully considered.
To take on this complexity outdoor FM and grounds maintenance providers need to bring new skills to bear. For our clients, OUTCO works closely with expert BNG specialists and ecologists to provide detailed surveys and
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