Solihull’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.

Solihull’s pre-application advice service can be found here.

Solihull is part of the West Midlands Local Nature Recovery Strategy. Information can be found here.

Specific BNG Requirements are set out in Policies 8 to 11 of the Local Plan (adopted October 2020).

8. Development will be required to demonstrate how it will secure a ‘net gain’ in biodiversity of at least 10% compared with the pre-development baseline.41

9. In the first instance, net gain should be provided in situ, as habitats and features to support native biodiversity, as well as conserving and enhancing existing nature conservation assets value within, and around, the development.

10. In the circumstances where development, which otherwise meets the objectives of the Plan, is likely to have significant harmful effects on the natural environment, as a result of the development itself, or the cumulative impact of developments, developers must demonstrate that all possible alternatives that would result in less harm have been considered and robustly discounted.

11. Where development is permitted, appropriate mitigation of the impacts and compensation will be required to deliver a net gain in biodiversity. This should be provided as: i. habitat creation and/or restoration;, ii. increased connectivity of the ecological and green infrastructure network, and; iii. responds to landscape character and local distinctiveness.

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