Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) supports nature’s recovery by ensuring that all new developments will leave our natural environment in a better state than it was before.
We’re proud to be part of the BNG market, because it places an economic value on biodiversity – but as a charity, we’re not here to turn a profit. Instead, we’re using this new market to invest in our landscape at a scale and ambition that was previously impossible – working to deliver a greener future for nature, climate and local communities.
How BNG works
Under the new national regulations, all new building developments must not only replace any biodiversity that they damage, but also improve the biodiversity of their site by at least 10% – and commit to protecting those habitats for at least the next 30 years.
For example, if a new housing estate has a pond in the proposed area, the developers must consult an ecologist and take steps to improve the biodiversity there – such as by improving the water quality or adding surrounding vegetation or trees that complement the pond.
If a developer can’t viably meet this 10% uplift target on their site, they are required to make up the difference by purchasing BNG units from a local offsite provider like us (a form of offsetting).
Through our creation of Lower Chew Forest (the South West’s largest new woodland in a generation), we’re giving biodiversity a huge local boost and generating hundreds of high-quality and high-integrity BNG units in the process – perfect for local developments which want to meet their planning requirements in a way that really makes a difference.
Our Offer: Peace of Mind
High-integrity Biodiversity Units, managed by us. Forever.
Lower Chew Forest is a gold-standard nature recovery project, generating more than 450 Biodiversity Units across a wide breadth of different types – allowing us to be a one-stop-shop for even large and complex developments.
Our Biodiversity Unit assessments and plans are backed by strong in-house ecological expertise and third-party verification, and enforced by Bath & North East Somerset Council*, taking your risk out of the equation.
When you buy our Biodiversity Units, we take on all responsibility for maintaining them for the 30-year term – freeing you from any ongoing costs or liabilities. What’s more, we plan to manage the site for nature over the long-term, meaning your investment will have a powerful impact on nature’s recovery for generations to come.
We’ll work with you to craft a proposal that’s affordable and secures both the future of your project and a brighter future for nature. Get in touch with us today for more information on pricing or to request a quote.
*pending legal agreements
Biodiversity Unit types available
Our Site: Lower Chew Forest
170 hectares of land managed for nature, located in the Lower Chew Valley.
Our new woodland project, Lower Chew Forest, is located within:
Bath & North East Somerset Local Planning Authority
Bristol, Avon Valley & Ridges Natural Character Area
This means our Biodiversity Units are available to local developments in Bristol, Bath, Keynsham and a wide area beyond with no spatial risk penalty (marked in green).
Our site is also adjacent to eight other LPAs and NCAs:
Neighbouring Local Planning Authorities: Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Wiltshire
Neighbouring Natural Character Areas: Cotswolds, Mendip Hills, Somerset Levels & Moors, Severn & Avon Vales
This makes our Biodiversity Units an affordable option for developments in a far wider area covering Gloucester, Worcester, Taunton, Salisbury, Bridgewater, Yeovil, Wells, Weston-super-Mare and surrounding areas, subject to a spatial risk penalty of 0.75 (marked in yellow).
Our Approach: A high-quality, high-integrity partner
We’re not here to make a fast buck out of BNG.
We’re using Biodiversity Units to help change the face of our landscape. For us, it represents an opportunity to help deliver genuine, measurable benefits for nature that will last for generations – as well as delivering other benefits including for climate, the local economy and local communities.
We need BNG to help make our vision a reality, so we work with developers as partners. We can help you to minimise your biodiversity impact in the first place, and then co-develop a proposal for off-site units to offset whatever can’t be avoided.
Plus, we’re a well-known local charity that chooses who we work with carefully – offering reputational benefits to your stakeholders and giving your team confidence that their project will have a positive impact on local communities across the board.
FAQs
How can Avon Needs Trees support our project as partners?
As a locally loved charity, we can do more than just help you meet your statutory BNG requirements. Working with us gives you access to a range of other benefits, including support for your planning application to local authorities, brand alignment with us in local press, and access to a range of inspiring nature-based marketing material to support stakeholder engagement and sales teams.
We can also offer site visits or volunteering days for your project team to see, plant and care for trees at Lower Chew Forest, helping them connect to the huge positive impact their work is having on the local environment.
What does the process of buying Biodiversity Units look like?
Buying Biodiversity Units from us is a simple process:
- Request a quote: send us the details of what you need, and we’ll assess the project and issue a free quote for helping you meet your statutory Biodiversity Net Gain requirements if we can. It’s best to do this whilst you’re preparing your planning application.
- Negotiations & due diligence: our quote isn’t set in stone – it’s our starting point for a negotiation. We’ll work with you to understand your project and it’s needs more deeply, and try to improve both our quote and the outcomes of your project for nature as best we can. We’ll also screen the development and involved companies at this time as part of our due diligence process, to ensure everyone involved in the deal meets our minimum ethical and environmental standards.
- Reserve your units: we’ll sign an options contract, giving you the right (but not the obligation) to purchase the units you need from us. This gives you security and confidence whilst you’re submitting your full planning application – for which we’ll write a letter of support to the local authority.
- Completion: Once planning is approved, we’ll complete the sale and allocate Biodiversity Units to your project on the national register. This must happen before your project breaks ground.
- Peace of mind: We’ll establish, monitor and maintain habitats at Lower Chew Forest covering any Biodiversity Units sold to you, taking on all cost, responsibility and liability for them across the entire 30-year statutory term – leaving you free to get on with what you do best.
