Biodiversity Net Gain Cost Planner (2025)
From February 2024 all major planning permissions in England must deliver a 10% biodiversity net gain. Small sites follow in April 2024. DEFRA’s statutory credits start at £42,000 per habitat unit and increase annually, so contractors who can quantify on-site vs off-site costs win tenders. This guide turns the DEFRA metric into a Toolfy-ready workflow.
10% net gain
Legal requirement
Environment Act 2021
Feb 2024
Major sites go live
DEFRA commencement regs
£20k+/unit
Off-site credit pricing
DEFRA consultation (2023)
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
This guide is for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute professional advice of any kind (legal, financial, tax, insurance, or otherwise).
Before making business decisions: Consult with qualified professionals (solicitors, accountants, insurance brokers, etc.) who can assess your specific circumstances. Laws, regulations, and industry standards change frequently and vary by location and situation.
Toolfy and the article authors accept no liability for decisions made or actions taken based on information provided in this guide. You are solely responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
Baseline to budget in three screens
Partnerships between ecologists, main contractors, and landscaping teams fall apart because files live everywhere. Centralise them in Toolfy.
1. Ingest baseline
- Store UKHab classification reports, GIS shapefiles, and photos inside Toolfy Documents.
- Tag polygons with unique IDs so tasks can reference them.
2. Run the metric
- Attach DEFRA calculator output (v4.0) including habitat unit totals.
- Record on-site vs off-site vs credit split in a single dashboard.
3. Budget + assign
- Create job templates for planting, fencing, SuDS, monitoring, etc.
- Allocate budgets/cost codes so finance can see cash burn vs habitat delivery.
Cost ranges to brief finance
Use DEFRA’s indicative pricing plus private market ranges when presenting budgets.
| Item | Typical range (per habitat unit) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| On-site habitat creation | £12k-£25k per unit | Meadow, woodland, SuDS plus 30-year management |
| Off-site private market units | £15k-£30k per unit | Depends on scarcity + region |
| Statutory credits (DEFRA) | £42k-£650k per unit | Pricing escalates as tiers fill |
Source: DEFRA “Statutory biodiversity credits – pricing policy” (Nov 2023) + Savills habitat market survey.
Thirty-year monitoring commitments
BNG isn’t a one-off job. Planning authorities expect annual updates for decades.
Monitoring cadence
- • Year 0: Baseline submission + biodiversity gain plan approval.
- • Years 1-5: Annual monitoring visits with photos, UKHab updates, and condition scores.
- • Years 6-30: At least every 5 years or as conditioned by the authority.
Toolfy automation ideas
- • Recurring tasks with escalations if inspections slip.
- • Dashboard showing delivered vs committed habitat units.
- • Document generator that outputs monitoring reports for planning officer signatures.
Interactive BNG delivery checklist
Keep planners calm and budgets honest
Toolfy links ecologist reports, contractor schedules, and finance trackers so your biodiversity gain plan survives scrutiny.
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