Guide
Biodiversity net gain report: what the council needs, and when
Updated
A biodiversity net gain report sets out the site's habitat baseline, the metric result and how the 10% gain will be delivered, and it feeds the biodiversity gain plan the council must approve before work starts. Ecologists publish prices for this work from £295 to £589.
The biodiversity gain plan
The statutory framework requires a biodiversity gain plan to be submitted to and approved by the planning authority to discharge the biodiversity gain condition before development begins (GOV.UK planning guidance). The authority has 8 weeks, or another agreed timescale, to decide it, and an appeal can be made if it refuses or does not decide in that time.
The rules in force
- The gain
- At least 10% more biodiversity value than before development (GOV.UK).
- How long
- Habitat counted towards the gain is maintained for at least 30 years (Environment Act 2021).
- An exemption
- Temporary development permitted for 5 years or less is exempt from 6 August 2026; the full list of exemptions is on GOV.UK.
- The planning guarantee
- Where a gain plan takes longer than 12 weeks to determine, the fee must be refunded (GOV.UK).
What it costs
| Consultancy | What it publishes | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Talk-Ecology | PEA and BNG | from £295 |
| ACP Consultants | straightforward BNG survey | from £399 + VAT |
| Arbtech | biodiversity net gain plan | from £489 |
| Joe's Blooms | BNG metric, standard application | £495, up to £995 for complex sites |
| Aware Ecology | BNG surveys | from £499 + VAT |
| Biodiversity Net Gain Plan | rapid assessments and net gain plans | from £589 + VAT |
Sources: Talk-Ecology, ACP Consultants, Arbtech, Joe’s Blooms, Aware Ecology and Biodiversity Net Gain Plan, each on its own page (every row, with its source).
What to ask
- Does the report include the draft biodiversity gain plan the council will ask for?
- Is a habitat management and monitoring plan included, or priced separately?
- Who signs the metric off, and are they a member of a professional body?
Published figures are what each consultancy advertises on its own page, read through our fetch box on the date shown. A 'from' price is the firm's floor, not the price of your assessment.