62 LANDSCAPING & EXTERNAL WORKS; INTERIORS


reduce risk, streamline feasibility work, and highlight where further ecological input is needed.


EARLY PLANNING BENEFITS DESIGN OUTCOMES For design teams, the implications of BNG extend beyond compliance. Incorporating biodiversity data into early design worfl ows enables a more holistic approach to placemaking, helping identify where natural features should be retained, enhanced, or supported through offsite measures.


This supports not just BNG requirements but wider goals, such as community wellbeing, access to nature, and integration with green infrastructure. These conversations need to happen early in the process. Environmental planning should not be an afterthought; it should be embedded from the outset.


FUTURE-PROOFING WITH SCIENCE With the policy environment still evolving, developers and their architectural partners need confi dence that their strategies will stand up to future scrutiny. Using structured baselines and spatial data gives decision makers more certainty. It enables informed trade-offs, supports transparency, and helps demonstrate that biodiversity is being taken seriously.


As tools and metrics develop, the underlying principle remains: BNG must be meaningful and measurable, not just procedural. We’re helping the sector take a practical, scientifi cally sound approach to delivering environmental value.


LONG-TERM ASSURANCE THROUGH RESPONSIBLE BODIES


A central pillar of BNG compliance is the requirement to secure biodiversity gains for at least 30 years. Traditionally achieved through Section 106 agreements, a newer option – conservation covenants – provides a different route. Overseen by designated Responsible Bodies, meaning they can hold and manage legally binding covenants, working with landowners, developers, or conservation groups, to verify and monitor long-term biodiversity outcomes.


This accreditation is about independent oversight, meaning they can sign off management plans, carry out monitoring, and report on compliance. It’s an added layer of accountability, and one that helps developers show they are doing things properly.


In practice, this model can help reduce the burden on under-resourced planning authorities while giving


developers greater confi dence in their compliance strategy.


STRATEGIC LAND MAPPING AT SCALE In 2022, Fera and other partners worked with a leading UK housing developer to pilot a science-led approach to assessing BNG potential across multiple strategic land sites.


The organisation conducted remote, desk-based habitat mapping using GIS and ecological expertise to produce accurate baseline assessments, removing the need for initial onsite surveys at that stage.


These baselines were integrated into the developer’s GIS systems, enabling early insight into biodiversity uplift potential across the land portfolio. It helped streamline planning and prioritisation ahead of more detailed site assessments. The pilot has since informed a wider roll-out across the developer’s estate, establishing a scalable model for identifying and managing ecological opportunities.


It’s a good example of how early, spatially informed planning can support BNG delivery and reduce uncertainty from the outset.


Neill Hogg is business development manager and natural capital specialist at Fera Science Ltd


Procheck® A2 membrane delivers speed and performance on Birmingham regeneration project


O


ccupants of Moda Living’s 722-home build-to-rent scheme at Great Charles Street in Birmingham will soon enjoy the


thermal comfort benefi ts of airtight building fabric, thanks to installation of the A. Proctor Group’s Procheck® A2 membrane. As of April 2025, work is well under way by


Titan Interior Solutions (part of the Horbury Group) to complete the membrane installation as part of the full internal fi t out package on blocks B and C of the project.


INTERNAL AIRTIGHTNESS LINE PUTS ONUS ON PRODUCT HANDLING AND EASE OF INSTALLATION The 16-storey block B and the 5/6-storey block C of Great Charles Street both feature a concrete frame with brickwork fi nish. This is in contrast to the 39-storey block A, which features a facade build-up and is outside the scope of Titan Interior Solutions’ work. The external wall structure of blocks B and


C meant the airtightness line was specifi ed internally. That has required the company to install an air and vapour control layer (AVCL) membrane to the internal face of the walls. The initial specifi cation package included


a diff erent AVCL product, which Titan Interior Solutions began to install. However, as Project Manager Matthew Cockayne explained, it quickly became clear that a change needed to


WWW.HBDONLINE.CO.UK


be requested. “The original product did not provide the best install. We got feedback from the team on site that it wasn’t the easiest to cut or handle,” said Matthew. “The decision was made to change to the Procheck A2 membrane and the reviews improved immediately. The installers found it better to use and easier to install, which saved us time. From there, we carried on using it.” Procheck A2 is a vapour and airtight


membrane. Its composition gives the membrane a high degree of vapour controlling properties, as well as being airtight, which allows its use as an AVCL and helps contribute to the thermal effi ciency of the building due to its’ refl ective surface. It is also rated A2-s1,d0 when classifi ed to BS EN 13501-1, meaning it is considered limited combustible with no contribution to fi re and can be used in relevant buildings and those over 11 m/18 m. Better handling and faster installation make a big diff erence on a large project like Great Charles Street. With an internal airtightness line, installers had to work around a lot of penetrations, including ducts, pipes and brackets. In Matthew’s words, that’s a “nightmare” because any single penetration could be a source of failure when it comes to airtightness testing. A product that cuts and handles well reduces the potential risks of failure.


QUALITY CONTROL DELIVERS CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE Thorough checking of work has also played a signifi cant role in the delivered results. “We don’t want to take fi nished walls down


to address airtightness failures, so the more people who view the completed installation before it is covered up, the better,” said Matthew. “Block managers from main contractor Sisk check all the work. We also had a member of the A. Proctor Group technical team visit site, to comment and report on the installation.” The change in product and the approach


to quality control has so far paid dividends. Finished apartments that have been airtightness tested have averaged a result of below 2.0 air changes per hour (ACH) at 50 Pascals pressure. Compare that to the minimum standard of


5.0 ACH required by the Building Regulations, and it gives an indication of the performance and thermal comfort that eventual occupants can expect to enjoy at Great Charles Street.


01250 872 261 proctorgroup.com/products/procheck-a2


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