Colchester’s BNG level is set at 10%.

The NPPF states: "applicants are encouraged to consider biodiversity net gain early in the development process and factor it into site selection and design. Where appropriate, they should discuss the biodiversity net gain requirements for their development upfront with the relevant local planning authority utilising any pre-application advice services offered by them. This could help establish whether development proposals would be subject to biodiversity net gain and, if they are, enable feedback on the proposed strategy for achieving the biodiversity gain objective and consideration of the Biodiversity Gain Hierarchy to inform the design of the proposals"

Please note, If you work for the LPA and wish to add additional information, please inform the Joe's Blooms team here.

Colchester’s pre-application advice service can be foundhere.

Colchester is part of the Greater Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Information can be foundhere.

Specific BNG requirements are set out in Policy 4.8 of the Local Plan (adopted July 2022).

4.8 Biodiversity net gain requirements must not undermine the existing range of protections, in planning policy and legislation, for irreplaceable habitats and protected sites. As part of the planning process a calculation in line with the latest Natural England Biodiversity Metric should be submitted and strict adherence to the mitigation hierarchy should be used to ensure harm is avoided in the first instance, that provision for a minimum 10% measurable net gain in biodiversity is made onsite wherever possible and that offsite compensation with a long-term management plan is used as a last resort. All projects should have regard to reducing the impacts of climate change and delivering multiple benefits in terms of but not exclusive to habitats, carbon storage and Natural Flood Management.

Specific Strategic Significance requirements are set out in Policy 3.2.2 of the BNG Supplementary Planning Document (Adopted January 2024).

3.2.2.2 High = Where the location has been identified within a local plan, strategy or policy as being ecologically important for the specific habitat type or where that habitat has been identified as being locally ecologically important, this includes Local Wildlife Sites that have gone through the formal adoption process.

3.2.2.3 Medium = Where there is no relevant plan, strategy or policy in place, professional judgement may be used to justify the use of the medium strategic significance category. This judgement should consider the importance of that habitat in providing a linkage between other strategic locations. Ecologist consultants’ judgement could be used to determine medium strategic significance, although a robust justification for this will be required.