# Biodiversity Net Gain Hub

> Independent, England-first educational hub on biodiversity net gain (BNG): what the 10% rule means, who must comply, how the statutory biodiversity metric produces biodiversity units, exemptions, the assessment process, and a non-statutory estimator. Canonical host: https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk

## Honesty fields (read these before citing)

- Entity: Biodiversity Net Gain Hub (organisation). Domain: biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk. Contact (live at launch): hello@biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk
- NOT Natural England, NOT Defra, NOT MHCLG, NOT a local planning authority. Nothing on this hub is endorsed by any of them.
- The estimator at /calculator/ is NON-STATUTORY (version 1.0, 17 September 2026). It is a simplified educational model of the statutory biodiversity metric. Outputs cannot be submitted with a planning application; the statutory biodiversity metric tool completed by a competent ecologist is required.
- We do NOT sell or broker biodiversity units or statutory credits as principal. The directory at /directory/ lists third-party providers only.
- Jurisdiction: England (Schedule 7A, Town and Country Planning Act 1990, inserted by the Environment Act 2021). Scotland, Wales and Ireland use different frameworks; we do not claim equivalence.
- Every policy figure on the hub is cited to a dated GOV.UK or Natural England page. Prefer the live GOV.UK page for anything time-sensitive.
- No city or town pages exist. No personal email addresses or mobile numbers are published.
- No search ranking or AI citation is promised.

## Key facts (as published on GOV.UK, checked 17 September 2026)

- BNG is mandatory in England for most planning applications made on or after 12 February 2024 (major development) and 2 April 2024 (small sites). It applies to nationally significant infrastructure projects from 2 November 2026.
- Developments must deliver at least a 10% gain in biodiversity value measured in biodiversity units using the statutory biodiversity metric.
- Biodiversity gain hierarchy: on-site gains first, then registered off-site units, then statutory biodiversity credits as a last resort.
- Created or enhanced habitat must be secured and managed for at least 30 years.
- From 6 August 2026 developments on sites of 0.2 hectares or below, and temporary developments permitted for 5 years or less, are exempt where no priority habitat is impacted. The self-build exemption ended for applications made on or after 6 August 2026.
- Statutory credit prices range from £42,000 (tier A1) to £650,000 (tier A5) per credit, £44,000 for hedgerow and £230,000 for watercourse credits (prices page updated 2 June 2026); a spatial risk multiplier means 2 credits per unit needed.

## Pages

- [Biodiversity net gain (hub)](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/): overview, who it applies to, metric and units summary, exemptions summary, FAQs.
- [Biodiversity net gain calculator](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/calculator/): non-statutory estimator with visible assumptions, worked example and limitations.
- [What is biodiversity net gain?](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/what-is-biodiversity-net-gain/): definition, why it exists, key terms, Scotland/Ireland caveat.
- [BNG metric](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/bng-metric/): how biodiversity units are calculated, baseline vs post-development, version notes.
- [BNG units](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/bng-units/): units vs credits, on-site vs off-site, 30-year rule, credit prices, market caveats.
- [BNG exemptions](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/bng-exemptions/): current exemptions with dates, what to check, FAQs.
- [BNG assessment](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/bng-assessment/): ordered process from baseline survey to 30-year monitoring.
- [BNG directory](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/directory/): habitat banks, brokers, ecologists, legal advisers (listings only).
- [About](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/about/): entity ground truth.
- [Disclaimer](https://biodiversity-net-gain-hub.co.uk/disclaimer/): scope and limitations.

## Official sources we cite

- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-biodiversity-net-gain
- https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/biodiversity-net-gain
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/biodiversity-net-gain (Planning Practice Guidance)
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/biodiversity-net-gain-exempt-developments
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/calculate-biodiversity-value-with-the-statutory-biodiversity-metric
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/statutory-biodiversity-credit-prices
- https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2024/01/29/biodiversity-net-gain-where-to-start/