We’re in Property Week

We're delighted that Ian Hambleton, our founder, has been quoted in Property Week's latest look at Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) - two years on from it becoming mandatory for new developments.

The piece takes stock of where the industry has got to: “Biodiversity is still a thorny issue for developers”

It covers the government's August exemptions for small sites under 0.2ha, a new temporary exemption for land due to be reinstated within five years, and changes to the BNG hierarchy for minor developments - all aimed at cutting some of the red tape developers have been dealing with. It also flags a less obvious risk: sites that look ecologically unremarkable can sometimes score more highly on the biodiversity metric than expected, catching developers out if it's not checked early.

Ian's contribution focuses on where the opportunity lies. 

He points out that while most developers still treat BNG as a compliance exercise, a growing number of market leaders are using it actively - to demonstrate environmental improvement, show the sustainability of what they're building, and strengthen public consultations. 

He's confident that as the process becomes easier to understand and more predictable, more of the industry will follow.

The piece is a candid snapshot of where BNG stands right now - and a reminder that the developers getting ahead of it are turning a regulatory requirement into an advantage.