Guidance

Meet your BNG requirements: steps to take for land managers

Steps land managers can take to sell biodiversity units to meet their biodiversity net gain (BNG) requirements.

• From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 29 November 2023
• Last updated: 12 February 2024 — See all updates

Applies to England

Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is mandatory from 12 February 2024.

You can view all of the BNG guidance in the BNG collection.

We use ‘land manager’ to refer to these different roles across our biodiversity net gain (BNG) guidance: 

• landowner 
• farmer 
• estate owner 
• habitat bank operator 
• facilities, property or estate manager 
• land agent 
• land advisor  
• planning authority using land they own 
• developer using land they own 

You can sell biodiversity units to developers on:  

• land you own 
• a landowner’s land with their permission 

This is an example order of steps a land manager can follow from beginning to end, but the order of some steps is flexible.

1. Find out about BNG

Understanding BNG

2. Explore your options

Find out how many biodiversity units you could sell and the habitat types you could create.

Check what environmental payments you can combine with BNG. 

There is more information about options, obligations and steps when selling biodiversity units.

3. Prepare to sell your biodiversity units

Decide whether to sell independently, in partnership or through a habitat bank operator.

Choose whether to start creating, enhancing and managing habitat before allocating units on it to a developer. 

Price your biodiversity units. 

Enter a legal agreement for biodiversity net gain. 

Find a buyer for your units. 

There is more information about preparing to sell biodiversity units.

4. Sell your units 

Find out how to sell your units.

5. Register your units and record the allocation of your units to a developer

You must: 

• apply to register your site as a biodiversity gain site
• record the allocation of off-site units to a development

You can register your gain site: 

• before recording the allocation of units to a developer, or 
• at the same time you record the allocation  

You can register your gain site and allocate units to a developer: 

• before you sell your units  
• at the same time as you sell your units  
• after you sell your units

6. Manage the habitat for at least 30 years

Off-site units must be maintained for at least 30 years following the completion of habitat enhancement works, as defined in your legal agreement. 

If habitat creation, enhancement and management work has not started by the time you record the allocation of off-site units, this should start within 12 months of allocation.

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Published 29 November 2023
Last updated 12 February 2024 + show all updates

1. 12 February 2024

   Updated box at top of page to state that biodiversity net gain (BNG) is mandatory from 12 February 2024 and removed the 'draft guidance' label.

2. 29 November 2023

   First published.