Register a biodiversity site and allocate to a development
Find out what to do if you need to register a biodiversity gain site and record allocation of off-site biodiversity gains to a development at the same time.
Applies to England
You can apply to register a biodiversity gain site, and record allocation of off-site gains to a development, if you鈥檙e:聽
- an individual landowner or leaseholder聽聽
- an agent acting on behalf of a landowner or leaseholder聽聽
- an employee or representative acting on behalf of an organisation who is the landowner or leaseholder聽聽
Before you apply聽
If you鈥檙e an agent acting on behalf of the applicant聽
You must be authorised by the applicant, which is either, the landowner, leaseholder or another person, to act on their behalf. They will need to complete an 鈥榓uthorise an agent to act on your behalf鈥 form. You must send this with your application form.鈥
If you are an employee or representative of an organisation, you do not need to complete an authorise an agent form.
How to apply
1. You will need to download and complete the relevant forms to register a biodiversity gain site and record allocation of off-site gains to a development. These will need to be sent to Natural England to be processed.
2. When we email you back, we will ask you to pay the 拢639 registration and allocation fee. We will also ask you to send:
- the title deeds or lease agreement to prove ownership for all landowners or leaseholders
- a document or image showing the land boundary 鈥 this must not contain any personal information, like a landowner鈥檚 name
- a legal agreement that secures the land for at least 30 years - this must be a planning obligation (Section 106 agreement) or conservation covenant
- a statutory biodiversity metric tool calculation that has been reviewed with the development鈥檚 planning application
- a planning application decision notice for the development project from the local planning authority
- a habitat management and monitoring plan (this may be within your legal agreement)
- a local land charge search certificate
You must send us your documents within 14 days of us requesting them. You should have these documents ready before you submit your application form. Once we receive your full application including your documents, we will send you an email with confirmation.
3. You will need to pay the 拢639 application fee within 28 days of sending us your documents. Once we receive your payment, we will send you a payment confirmation email.
4. We will check your application. We will let you know if we need more information from you or if you have been accepted or rejected.
If we accept your application, you will get an email with a gain site reference number. This is unique to your biodiversity gain site.聽
If we reject your application, we will let you know why.
Withdrawals and refunds聽
Once we have made a decision on your application you cannot withdraw it. Refunds will not be given.聽聽
You can read the terms and conditions聽for more information on withdrawals, refunds and how we approve or reject applications.
Get help with your application聽
Email: biodiversitynetgainenquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
We aim to reply within 10 working days.
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Updates to this page
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Removed the contact telephone number due to changes to the service. If you need help, you should now email biodiversitynetgainenquiries@naturalengland.org.uk.
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Added that you will need to send us a planning application decision notice for the development project from the local planning authority, and clarified that you need to send us the statutory biodiversity metric tool calculation that has been reviewed with the development鈥檚 planning application.
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Opening times to helpline has changed to Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm during October and February.
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First published.