BIODIVERSITY IMPACT CALCULATIONS EXPLAINED

Principal Ecologist Rob Harrison reports on the recent Biodiversity Impact Calculations course run by Balfour Beatty on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM):

Biodiversity Impact Calculations are a useful tool for determining how development impacts natural resource. It provides a unit of measurement for how much biodiversity would be lost or gained as a result of development activities. This unit can then be offset either on site or in the local area to ensure no net loss of biodiversity, and ultimately demonstrate quantitatively through the unit calculations how development can provide biodiversity net gains.

The revised National Planning Policy Framework (2018) (NPPF) sets out THE Government’s planning policies and how these are expected to be applied. A key consideration of the NPPF is that planning decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment  by minimising impacts on and providing net gains for biodiversity. The use of Biodiversity Impact Calculations to support planning applications would help demonstrate and achieve this.

For further details on Biodiversity Impact Calculations and how they can be applied to your development get in touch with Rob  on 07795443287 or rob.harrison@harrislamb.com

Pic: iStock by Getty/Dejan Kolar