Register a biodiversity site and allocate to a development
Find out what to do if you need to register a biodiversity gain site and record allocation of off-site biodiversity gains to a development at the same time.
Applies to England
You can apply to register a biodiversity gain site, and record allocation of off-site gains to a development, if you’re:
- an individual landowner or leaseholder
- an agent acting on behalf of a landowner or leaseholder
- an employee or representative acting on behalf of an organisation who is the landowner or leaseholder
Before you apply
If you’re an agent acting on behalf of the applicant
You must be authorised by the applicant, which is either, the landowner, leaseholder or another person, to act on their behalf. They will need to complete an ‘authorise an agent to act on your behalf’ form. You must send this with your application form.
If you are an employee or representative of an organisation, you do not need to complete an authorise an agent form.
How to apply
1. You will need to download and complete the relevant forms to register a biodiversity gain site and record allocation of off-site gains to a development. These will need to be sent to Natural England to be processed.
2. When we email you back, we will ask you to pay the £639 registration and allocation fee. We will also ask you to send:
- the title deeds or lease agreement to prove ownership for all landowners or leaseholders
- a document or image showing the land boundary – this must not contain any personal information, like a landowner’s name
- a legal agreement that secures the land for at least 30 years - this must be a planning obligation (Section 106 agreement) or conservation covenant
- a statutory biodiversity metric tool calculation that has been reviewed with the development’s planning application
- a planning application decision notice for the development project from the local planning authority
- a habitat management and monitoring plan (this may be within your legal agreement)
- a local land charge search certificate
You must send us your documents within 14 days of us requesting them. You should have these documents ready before you submit your application form. Once we receive your full application including your documents, we will send you an email with confirmation.
3. You will need to pay the £639 application fee within 28 days of sending us your documents. Once we receive your payment, we will send you a payment confirmation email.
4. We will check your application. We will let you know if we need more information from you or if you have been accepted or rejected.
If we accept your application, you will get an email with a gain site reference number. This is unique to your biodiversity gain site.
If we reject your application, we will let you know why.
Withdrawals and refunds
Once we have made a decision on your application you cannot withdraw it. Refunds will not be given.
You can read the terms and conditions for more information on withdrawals, refunds and how we approve or reject applications.
Contact us if you need help
Telephone: 0300 060 3900
Opening times:
- March to September - Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm
- October to February - Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm
Closed on public holidays.
Email: biodiversitynetgainenquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
We aim to reply within 10 working days.
Give feedback on this guidance by completing a short survey.
Last updated 15 April 2024 + show all updates
-
Added that you will need to send us a planning application decision notice for the development project from the local planning authority, and clarified that you need to send us the statutory biodiversity metric tool calculation that has been reviewed with the development’s planning application.
-
Opening times to helpline has changed to Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm during October and February.
-
First published.