Off-site units for Essex developments
Buying BNG units in Essex
If your development cannot reach a 10% biodiversity net gain on site, off-site units from a local habitat bank can make up the difference. This page explains how they work, what you need, how Essex planning authorities treat them, indicative prices and the steps from enquiry to completion.
Get in touchHow off-site units are used
Off-site units are biodiversity units created on land away from your development, at a habitat bank. Your ecologist's metric shows the gap between what you can deliver on site and the 10% gain your permission requires. You buy enough off-site units to close that gap.
The units are then allocated to your development and recorded on Natural England's biodiversity gain site register. That allocation is the evidence your planning authority needs. The habitat bank remains responsible for creating and managing the habitat for at least 30 years.
There are three types of unit, and each type of shortfall can only be met with units of the same type:
- Area habitat units, for habitats such as grassland, scrub and woodland.
- Hedgerow units, for hedgerows and lines of trees.
- Watercourse units, for rivers, streams and ditches.
For the basics, read what biodiversity net gain means for developers.
What you need before you buy
- Your completed statutory biodiversity metric, or your ecologist's estimate of the units you need by type.
- The name of your local planning authority and, if you have one, your planning application reference.
- The habitats your development will lose, because the trading rules decide which units can replace them.
- Your timescale, especially if you need to meet a pre-commencement condition by a set date.
No metric yet? Get in touch anyway and we can tell you what to ask your ecologist for.
How Essex planning authorities treat off-site units
Essex has 14 local planning authorities: 12 district, borough and city councils, plus the unitary councils of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock. Each one decides biodiversity net gain for the applications it receives, and all of them apply the same national rules and the same statutory metric.
Location and the spatial risk multiplier
The metric rewards buying close to your development. Units from a habitat bank in the same local planning authority area or National Character Area count in full. Units from a neighbouring area count for three quarters, and units from further away count for half.
Priors Farm is in the Colchester City Council area and the Greater Thames Estuary National Character Area. James Farm is in the Tendring District Council area and the Northern Thames Basin National Character Area. Colchester and Tendring border each other. Tell us where your site is and we will check which scheme gives you the most value. You can read about both Essex BNG schemes.
Local nature recovery
The metric gives extra value to habitat created where a Local Nature Recovery Strategy says it matters most. James Farm's new woodland is being planted in an area the Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy marks as a priority for woodland creation.
What your planning authority will check
When it reviews your biodiversity gain plan, the authority will check that your off-site units are recorded on the register, that they meet the trading rules, and that your metric applies the right location multiplier. Some Essex authorities publish their own guidance too. Colchester, for example, adopted a Biodiversity Supplementary Planning Document in 2023.
Indicative prices
| Habitat type | Priors Farm, per unit | James Farm, per unit |
|---|---|---|
| Other neutral grassland | £19,000 | £18,000 |
| Modified grassland | £19,000 | Not available |
| Mixed scrub | £22,000 | £22,000 |
| Other broadleaved woodland | £30,000 | Not available |
| Lowland mixed deciduous woodland | £45,000 | £45,000 |
| Wet woodland | £45,000 | £55,000 |
| Ponds (non-priority) | £50,000 | Not available |
| Reedbeds | £50,000 | Not available |
| Open mosaic habitat on previously developed land | £55,000 | Not available |
| Species-rich native hedgerow with trees (hedgerow units) | Not available | £22,000 |
| Ditches (watercourse units) | Not available | £70,000 |
Indicative prices, subject to availability. Get in touch for a quote.
From enquiry to completion
- Get in touch. Send us your metric or a summary of the units you need, your planning authority and your timescale.
- We check availability. We confirm which scheme and habitat types fit your requirement and send you a quote.
- You confirm the purchase. We agree terms and you pay for the units.
- The units are allocated. The allocation to your development is recorded on the biodiversity gain site register, and you receive the evidence for your biodiversity gain plan.
- Your planning authority approves your gain plan. The condition is met and you can start work.
How long it takes: once contracts are signed, you receive a document pack within one to two days. Registering the allocation can then take up to six weeks, in line with Natural England guidance, so build this into your programme.
Ready to talk about units?
Tell us what your metric shows and where your site is. We will reply with availability and a quote.
Get in touch