Issue - meetings

To receive an update on the Council’s suggested approach to Biodiversity Net Gain.

The Committee received an update from the Group Head Commissioning and Transformation on the Council’s suggested approach to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and were advised that the dates for mandatory BNG were 12  February 2024 for major applications, 2 April 2024 for small site applications, and November 2025 for nationally significant infrastructure projects.

The Group Head Commissioning and Transformation informed the Committee that developers would need to provide, as part of the application process, a complete biodiversity metric which would highlight any lost habitat and how they would account for this. Developers would also need to provide a Biodiversity Gain plan which would mean planning could not commence until it had been approved. Surrey Wildlife Trust will provide expertise in biodiversity metrics when planning applications are received, additionally Surrey County Council intend to create a pool of ecologists that could be use by Surrey boroughs.

In relation to the use of Spelthorne land to offset BNG delivery, developers would need to provide BNG onsite initially where possible, alternatively there is the option to go offsite or purchase Government statutory credits. Local Planning Authorities could sell Biodiversity units from its own land holdings but could not direct developers to use them. Potential Council owned sites, to be included on the register, had been identified and a paper would be presented to the February Committee meeting.

The Committee queried whether the River Thames Scheme would need to consider BNG and were advised that it would.

The Committee resolved to note the update.