Westminster'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.

Westminster pre-application advice service can be found here

Westminster LPA is part of London's Local Nature Recovery Strategy, details of which can be found here.

Specific BNG requirements are set out here and in the Council's validation guide.

Applicants should have regard for the following (if proposed development is on or close to a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), would impact on a priority species or habitat or another ecological feature outside of the SINCs network. May be required in locations where BNG statement not required and in addition to BNG statement where required)

Designated sites are shown on the City Plan proposals map, which can be viewed on our website (See interactive policies map) You can use the Wildlife Assessment check tool - for householders and small to medium-sized developers, to help clarify whether a development project needs expert ecological advice.

​Please note that the resources on this page are purely advisory. Documents set out may be out of date. You should engage with the LPA as soon as possible to ensure local requirements are incorporated into your BNG proposals.
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Last updated: May 2024