When mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain landed in 2024, most developers had more questions than answers. This guide sets out the practical BNG advice for developers that makes the difference between a smooth process and an expensive delay.

‘Individual trees’ refers to trees that are not part of a woodland or other habitat primarily characterised by trees. They can be either urban or rural - the classification depends on the surrounding habitat's degree of urbanisation. 

For many developers and landowners, the question isn’t whether to comply - it’s how to do so efficiently and without unnecessary cost. That’s where outside biodiversity net gain services come in. This guide explains what they cover, why they matter, and why professional support has become essential rather than optional.

Ian explains the driving force behind our inaugural BNG Industry Report: "We feel pretty strongly at Biodiversity Units that we're part of an industry, and it's a new fledgling industry. I should say it's a bloody brilliant industry as well right. It is re-wilding and restoring nature across England."

After 4,000+ hours of market research, we've built our service around four pillars that address the real challenges developers face - from navigating complex LPA requirements to avoiding costly mistakes with inappropriate units.

As part of our Habitat Spotlight Series, we’re taking a closer look at Mixed Scrub. The BNG Metric recognises at least eight scrub habitat types, read the blog to learn more.

Learn the key insights direct from Ian Hambleton, our CEO, and creator of the fifth BNG Pricing Report, published in June 2025. The report now includes 77 habitat banks covering 85% of England's BNG market.

As part of our Habitat Bank Onboarding Series, we’ve put together answers to the questions we hear most often from our Habitat Bank partners. This blog is a written companion to the video above, giving you a quick reference guide to how we work at Biodiversity Units UK.

At Biodiversity Units UK, we’re committed to giving our partner Habitat Banks as much insight, support, and visibility as possible.

That’s why we’ve developed the Habitat Bank Insights Series — a collection of exclusive content, data, and resources to keep you fully informed and ahead of the curve.

Welcome to Biodiversity Units UK! If you’re a Habitat Bank interested in working with us, this blog is designed to give you a clear, step-by-step explanation of how we onboard new partners.

We’re taking a closer look at the different habitat types that frequently come up in biodiversity assessments, planning discussions, and habitat creation projects. First up is Other Neutral Grassland (ONG) - a commonly occurring but often misunderstood habitat.

Rather than simply accepting the initial BNG requirement, we applied our process know-how to help LNT navigate the planning system more effectively. Image provided by Environment Bank.

The BNG Industry Report July 2025 draws insights from 33 habitat bank businesses across England, representing over 21,000 acres of land dedicated to biodiversity enhancement and nature recovery.

Our analysis of price trends from 77 Habitat Banks provides the market intelligence you need to secure the right units at the right price - plus many more BNG industry insights.

"We want to make sure that as a whole that the biodiversity market works. So that means that if we can help in any way support ecology firms and practices, then we'll do that,” explains Sam.

At a recent London Stock Exchange panel on natural capital investing, industry leaders - including our CEO Ian Hambleton - gathered to discuss how businesses can navigate this transformation while achieving both environmental impact and commercial returns. 

We're very excited to have Nick join the team at Biodiversity Units UK.

A common pain point we hear from developers, ecologists and planning consultants is the complexity of completing the Biodiversity Game Plan (BGP) – a crucial document required for planning sign-off under Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) rules.

One of the most overlooked ways to reduce your Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) liability as a developer is right there in your site boundary drawings — your red line and your blue line.

"I would define certainty as making sure the units we suggest get approved. You're paying the right amount of money. You're paying the money at the right time, and actually it's not a headache for you. There is no pain." Ian Hambleton, founder