ICE Wales Cymru’s Post

I had a really positive experience today attending the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)’s Biodiversity Net Gain Masterclass event in Manchester, delivered by Morgan Taylor. It was really valuable to go so in-depth into the legislation, processes, challenges and future of BNG. My key takeaways from the event: • Get an ecologist on board as early as possible (it will save you a lot of money!!!) •BNG is not going anywhere. Also, the importance of having said ecologist on board will only become heightened as additional concepts are introduced in the future - such as Environmental Net Gain (ENG), and Scope 3 BNG •Use nature to add value to your projects! When delivering BNG, consider the functions of different species and habitats, and how they can benefit your project. 🌱 🌲 🌸

Since it came into force Biodiversity Net Gain, or BNG under the Environment Act 2021, has generated many questions for developers and landowners. The regime is complex and there are many implications still to be worked through. We’ve produced a useful FAQ exploring typical questions we've been asked: ➡ I’ve submitted a planning application already, but I’d like to submit an application for another scheme in a few months’ time. Will my applications fall under the BNG regime? ➡ If I apply to vary conditions to a planning permission, will that trigger the BNG regime? ➡ Do I always need to engage an ecologist now to advise on my development? ➡ How do statutory biodiversity credits work? ... and many more. https://lnkd.in/eKX3mWkv Carolyn Lord Kate Butterfield

Have you read this week's Commercial Question? Harriet Grimes and Adrian Bennett from Michelmores outline what biodiversity net gain (BNG) is, its implementation timeline and framework, and the BNG requirements for nationally significant infrastructure projects. Swipe for a snippet and read the full article via the link in the comments. #commercialawareness #lawyers #trainingcontract

The UK Government officially launched (𝑜𝑛 12 𝐹𝑒𝑏 2024) the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) scheme. It promises to represent a significant stride towards putting nature at the heart of new developments. 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐁𝐍𝐆 𝐨𝐟 𝟏𝟎%. You can find everything you need on BNG here: https://lnkd.in/dPZqi-7R It includes guidance on how to enter a legal agreement for BNG here: https://lnkd.in/eW7B4t79. You will note here that there are two types of legal agreements:  (1) planning obligation (section 106) with an LPA; or (2) conservation covenant agreement with a responsible body. Finally, you may also wish to read this article by Phoebe Weston, who is a biodiversity writer for The Guardian https://lnkd.in/eHg-MBw7 #biodiversitynetgain #planninglaw #biodiversity

📢 CONSULTATION ALERT 📢 The British Standards Institute is consulting on the draft document 'PAS 1401:2025 Nature inclusive marine structures - Code of Practice' 📃 https://lnkd.in/euiBeM-P This PAS gives recommendations on how to specify the design of marine nature-inclusive structures and covers: ➡ guidance relating to the core principles of nature-inclusive design, ➡ integration of nature-inclusive design with sustainable planning practices, such as biodiversity net gain (BNG) and other emerging practices including marine net gain (MNG), net positive impact (NPI), natural capital approaches, etc. ➡ guidance relating to the integration of nature-inclusive structures with the restoration of biogenic habitats by augmenting structures with habitat-forming species ⏰ The deadline is 31st August 2024⏰

The Planning Advisory Service have now produced x3 precedent forms of s.106 agreement for biodiversity net gain. We have a pure habitat bank agreement, an on-site BNG monitoring contribution and an off-site BNG provision linked to a particular planning consent (link below). The drafting notes do provide some assistance and the level of square brackets highlights the flexibility needed on the approach to such sites. One question does remain and that is the practicality and viability of attempting to impose a 30 year bond on a developer. I am yet to see a bond being available and/or utilised for this period. This will I envisage be a topic of discussion going forward. https://lnkd.in/eG4D25Uj

🌿 What role will #rewilding play in implementing the new #EU #NatureRestorationLaw? 🐦 We posed this and other questions to Gert-Jan Nabuurs, project partner in WILDCARD and Professor of European Forest Resources at Wageningen University & Research. Check out his answers! 📜 First reaction: It is extremely good news that the law has passed, even though the text is much weaker than the original, presented two years ago. The first version said 30% of the degraded habitats types shall be in good condition by 2030, while the approved text says countries shall start measures to improve the state of these habitats. So we went from a target to an intention to execute, which is a big difference. But it is still very important that this intention is written down formally as a law. 🌳 The role of rewilding: The rewilding of abandoned lands and proforestation are important strategies in achieving the law, which contains an article with clear assessment criteria for forest restoration (Article 12). From now on, EU Member Countries will be tasked with finding areas whose conditions they can improve and restore, with the responsibility of locating their own funding and resources for these activities. Rewilding can gain relevance as a restoration approach because its implementation costs are relatively low compared to other approaches. 🚨 Challenges: Member States that voted against the law will not be keen to start very quickly, and there is no penalty if they don’t achieve targets which have become a bit more vague. Additionally, we still lack knowledge on how to monitor certain indicators that need to be assessed to determine if restoration was successful, and to do it cost-efficiently. ☑ How will WILDCARD contribute: The project will provide assessments on how biodiversity responds to rewilding measures, such as which species and functional groups most benefit from it. Carbon sequestration and socioeconomic aspects will also be assessed, helping to devise recommendations on future rewilding hotspots that are ecologically important and socially acceptable. Learn more about the project's main lines of research on our new website: https://lnkd.in/dKqKsj9y #GenerationRestoration #EU #Biodiversity #RestoreNature

The important role of WILDCARD project in the context of the #NatureRestaurationLaw

Join us for a collaborative webinar with Storm Geomatics and Gavia Environmental to unlock the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) potential of your land! Learn from our experts how to integrate strategies to maximise BNG and successfully discharge your BNG planning conditions. Don't miss this essential guide for estate managers, property developers, urban planners, and more! Thu, 04 Jul 10:30 - 11:45 BST. See the link below or contact Polly Hopkins for more info! #collaboration #geomatics #environmental #ecologists #surveyors #BNGevent