LANDSCAPING
BIODIVERSITY IN CONSTRUCTION: ONE YEAR LATER, WHAT’S CHANGED?
The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) law, introduced in 2024, requires housing developments to deliver a 10% biodiversity uplift and maintain it over 30 years.
M
andatory in England for major developments since February 2024, and for small sites two months later, the Biodiversity
Net Gain (BNG) law is a landmark piece of legislation with a significant impact on the building industry.
While initially introduced for ‘major’ developments – those with ten or more houses – BNG laws now also impact sites with up to nine houses on less than one hectare in size. Both classifications must demonstrate a 10% increase in biodiversity to attain planning permission, and, with occasional exceptions, all developments must be managed and maintained over a 30-year period to remain compliant.
Assessing the current situation A report by the not-for-profit nature conservation specialists, Wild Justice, titled ‘Lost Nature: Are housing developers delivering their ecological commitments?’, identified significant shortcomings in the implementation and enforcement of biodiversity improvements.
Terry Wilkinson, Specialist Design & Application Engineer at ACO Water Management says that, after examining 42 major housing projects across five Local Planning Authorities, covering 6,000 houses and 291 hectares, it was discovered that only 53% of the promised ecological enhancements were present during site visits. Wilkinson says that further investigation revealed a concerning level of missing wildlife mitigation measures. “These included hedgehog highways (83% missing), bat and bird boxes (both 75% missing), invertebrate boxes (100% missing) and refuges for reptiles and shelters for hibernation (85% missing). These findings were based on the 2012 biodiversity requirements.
“To prevent this issue from recurring in future developments, increased education and action are necessary from the entire
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construction supply chain, including merchants, especially with the government aiming to deliver 1.5 million homes by 2030.” The BNG law is still relatively fresh, and ACO is supporting builders merchants to deliver change. With a growing demand for wildlife solutions, merchants can – and should – capitalise on this growing market. Wilkinson believes that product knowledge is key, enabling merchants to guide developers towards effective, compliant, and sustainable biodiversity solutions. “For example, merchants can advise developers to stay away from cementitious concrete-based wildlife tunnels, especially when the priority is to assist amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts in safely crossing roads,2 he says. “This is due to the dry, caustic nature of cementitious concrete being potentially toxic to these animals. Innovative solutions, such as ACO’s Climate Tunnels and Guide Walls, which protect wildlife while meeting practical ecological guidance requirements, are an important leap forwards in protecting biodiversity. Builders merchants will notice the growing popularity of polymer concrete products alongside others of a similar vein, and can profit from stocking solutions that support BNG.”
The Homes for Nature commitment, a task force set up to develop a long-term delivery plan for the housing sector, has indicated a
growing demand for nest boxes in new build homes. ACO’s nest boxes are designed for easy cleaning and can be retrofitted or easily built into standard walls. With demand for these refuges expected to rise, merchants have an opportunity to support their customers’ biodiversity goals by stocking products that mitigate the impact of property development on the environment.
Evolving demands
“Given that merchants are often viewed as consultants by their customers, it’s important for them to be aware that wildlife tunnels, especially those installed on roads, must be able to withstand heavy vehicular traffic,” Wilkinson points out, adding that, iIf incorrectly specified, tunnels fail prematurely, it creates risk for vehicles, people and animals, as well as leading to expensive repair works. “On housing estates where heavy vehicles like refuse lorries and HGVs are expected, tunnels with a Load Class D 400 rating, certified to BS EN 1433:2002 are best practice.” He continues: “These industry developments are here to stay, and merchants have a potentially lucrative opportunity to support their customers with biodiversity enhancements. By providing the right knowledge and solutions, merchants can play a major part in helping housebuilders to complement their BNG targets.“ BMJ
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net March 2025
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