Biodiversity Net Gain in Manchester

BNG assessments across Manchester and Greater Manchester

Most new developments in England now have to deliver at least a 10% gain in biodiversity. If you’re building anywhere in Manchester or Greater Manchester, the council will want to see how your scheme achieves this, using the statutory biodiversity metric.

We’re a Manchester-based ecology consultancy, so we can get to sites across Greater Manchester quickly for the habitat survey, and we work on sites right across the area.

BNG on Manchester sites

A lot of development in Manchester is on brownfield land or sites that are already built on, such as old yards, car parks, back land and buildings with small areas of grass, scrub or trees. These sites often start with a low biodiversity value, so the 10% gain can usually be reached on site with good landscaping.

Greenfield and edge-of-town sites, and sites with hedgerows, woodland or ponds, usually start with a higher value and need more careful planning. If your site includes or sits next to a river, brook or canal, the river habitat is assessed separately using its own part of the metric. We can do this alongside a river condition assessment.

What a BNG assessment involves

Baseline habitat survey

We survey the site and record each habitat and its condition using the UK Habitat Classification, including any hedgerows and watercourses.

Metric calculations

We run the statutory biodiversity metric for the site as it is now and for your proposed layout and landscaping, so you can see early on whether your scheme reaches 10%.

Design advice

If the scheme falls short, we work with your architect or landscape designer on habitats and planting that score well and suit the site.

Off-site options

Where the gain can’t all be delivered on site, we can help you find off-site units, for example from a habitat bank.

Biodiversity Gain Plans and HMMPs

We prepare the Biodiversity Gain Plan and, where it’s needed, the Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan, which covers how the habitats will be looked after for at least 30 years.

When can the habitat survey be done?

The habitat survey is best done between April and September, when plants can be identified and habitat condition assessed properly. Surveys outside this period are possible on some sites, but the council may ask for a check during the growing season.

Where we work

We carry out BNG assessments across Manchester and the rest of Greater Manchester, including Salford, Trafford, Stockport, Tameside, Oldham, Rochdale, Bury, Bolton and Wigan, as well as the wider North West. We also work across most of the UK. See our main biodiversity net gain page for more about our service.

Frequently asked questions

Does my development in Manchester need BNG?

Most planning applications do, unless they’re exempt. Exemptions include householder applications, self-build and custom build homes, and developments that affect less than 25 square metres of habitat. From 6 August 2026, sites of 0.2 hectares or less are also exempt, as long as they don’t affect a priority habitat. Send us your plans and we’ll tell you whether BNG applies.

Can a brownfield site still need BNG?

It can. A site that’s mostly hard surfacing may still have grass, scrub or trees that count as habitat. These sites often start with a low score, so the 10% gain can usually be reached with native planting, new trees or a green roof.

When should we get a BNG assessment?

As early as possible, ideally before the site layout is fixed. It’s much easier and cheaper to design the gain in than to find it later. The habitat survey is often done at the same time as a Preliminary Ecological Appraisal.