Panel: Hannah David – Planning Futures (chair); Nick White – Natural England; Richard Crawley – PAS; Emma Toovey – The Environment Bank; DHLUC (tbc)  

Following the introduction into law of the Environment Act 2021, from January 2024 all major planning applications will be required to demonstrate 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG) – either through onsite mitigation, offsite provision or through the purchase of biodiversity credits.

This naturally raises issues of compliance for planners and developers, who will need to adjust their practice to the new regime – ensuring that planning applications conform with the new legislation. It will also shape decisions around site selection and the design of new schemes, as the cost of meeting the new BNG requirements feeds into the overall viability and profitability of development.

This expert panel event, a follow up to our event from last year, will explore the steps that the full range of built environment stakeholders will need to take in order to prepare for the new BNG regime.

It will explore:

• Compliance with the Environment Act 2021
• The merits of onsite mitigation, offsite provision & biodiversity credits
• The impact of the new regime on site selection and design