BNG update: minor sites can now go straight to off-site

New BNG regulations came into force on 6 August 2026 - and the one we think matters most is a change to the hierarchy for minor developments.

Until now, minor developments (residential schemes of 1–9 homes on a site under 1 hectare) had to demonstrate they'd tried on-site delivery first, before looking off-site. From 6 August, unless otherwise exempt (eg the development is under 0.2 hectares) that requirement has gone.

You can now choose off-site BNG units in the first instance - they have equivalence in the BNG hierarchy. This is helpful if the features of your site make it difficult to create units and it avoids a long term challenge with on-site BNG.

Shift the 30 year obligation

On-site gains are secured against you for at least 30 years. Whereas off-site units are secured against the habitat bank you buy the units from. This means you can buy the units, and the obligation is theirs, not yours. You still create the biodoversity uplift, and discharge the planning condition.

This amendment sits alongside three other changes: the under-0.2 hectare exemption, a new exemption for temporary development under five years, and the removal of the self-build exemption. All four apply only to new applications submitted from 6 August 2026 - anything already submitted stays under the existing rules.

If you're weighing up on-site versus off-site for a minor scheme, this is worth checking against your site plans before you submit.

Where do you start?

Finding different, reputable, off-site BNG unit suppliers can take a lot of time.

That's why we exist, to find you a range of prices from the whole market, which means you get the true market price - not just what the habitat bank happens to be charging.

Our team works with over 85% of UK habitat bank suppliers - see our interactive map here - and offer matched pricing as standard. That means we scour the market for the best priced units, giving you number of supplier options - and you don't pay any more.

So why not save yourself a lot of time and hassle: Get a quote