Sometimes Local Planning Authorities may request a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) in addition to the statutory documents. Because you have completed a small site application, you are entitled to complete this yourself and use Natural England's pro forma answers.
Please note that this page provides advice and support based on Natural England guidance. It takes no responsibility for the final output and none of the below should be counted on as legal advice and cannot guarantee acceptance. You should consider whether you feel comfortable completing this process.
Before you start
Before you commence your Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan please make sure you have Microsoft Word installed and that you have completed your Biodiversity Gain Plan, your habitat plans (maps) and your metric sheet with the Joe's Blooms Biodiversity Net Gain Tool. You will need all of these documents to hand to complete this document.
You will also need to send the following Client Questionnaire to your client (or, if you are submitting the HMMP for your own personal project, you will need to complete this yourself).
Client Survey
Questions | Notes |
Question 1. Who is the legal landowner of the site? | Should be a name or company name. In many cases this will be the same as the answers in 2.1 and 2.2 of your Biodiversity Gain Plan, but you should always confirm. |
Question 2. Do you intend to hire a landscaping company and/or management company to help manage the habitats that will be created? If Yes what are their details (name, address) |
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Question 3. How often will you be able to update the Local Planning Authority on progress made towards creating/enhancing the new habitats? | E.g. once every 5 years |
Question 4. How will you fund the creation and enhancement of the habitats that we will create? |
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Question 5. When do you intend to start work creating these habitats (e.g. within X months of securing planning permission) |
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Question 6. Do you, or anyone in your team, have any pre-existing experience in managing habitats (e.g. pre-existing obligations to manage land)? |
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Question 7. Do you intend to hire a landscaping company and/or management company to help manage the habitats that will be created? If Yes what are their details (name, address) |
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Question 8. How best can I describe your role within your organisation and your responsibilities in official documentation? |
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First, please download and open the SSM HMMP template from Natural England. You should see a document that looks like this:
You should save this document regularly as it can crash, and delete your work when it does!
First Page
Site Name
On Site Name, please type in your site name (this can be found on the metric file in tab 2 ("Site Details") of your metric sheet, under "2. Site name")
Date
On Date please click in the box and select the date that you are filling this document in on.
Version
On Version, please put down "Version 1". You should amend this if you have previously submitted this document to your LPA and are now changing it.
Small Sites Criteria Met
Click "Yes"
Author
On Author, please put down your own name and you can add a logo.
Client
On Client, please put down your client's name and (if you like) add their logo.
Cover Photo
If you like, you can add a cover photo (in the big blue box).
Checklist Page
Checklist
Make sure at the end you have ticked all the boxes!
Version Control
For Version, write "Version 1"
For Issue Status, write "Live"
For Prepared by / Date" write the date you submit your HMMP
For Approved by / Date leave blank
Authorship Details SM-B01
On this you need to remove the grey text and then write in a short summary the author, such as company address, email, copyright or map licence information.
Project Background
Project information SM-T01
Project Type
Go to Tab 3 of your metric sheet and look at cell C6 ("14. Select the type of proposed development. If Other provide details at Q.25 below" and write down whatever is in the box in green (e.g. "residential").
Development Name and Address
On Site Name, please type in your site name (this can be found on the metric file in tab 2 ("Site Details") of your metric sheet, under "2. Site name")
Go to 1.4 of your Biodiversity Gain Plan and copy the information there.
Author
Go to 3.1 and 3.2 of your Biodiversity Gain Plan and copy the information there.
Landowner
Provide the answer to question 1 from the client survey.
Land Management Organisation
Provide the answer to question 2 from the client survey.
Period covered by this management plan
As a default, put down 30 years (unless you have agreed a longer period).
Planning Authority
This can be found on the metric file in tab 2 ("Site Details") of your metric sheet, under "1. Planning Authority")
Central OS grid reference
This can be identified by looking up the site on the UK Grid Reference Finder.
Type in either your site post code or location on the menu on the left
Right click in the centre of your project to get a Grid Reference (it will be two letters followed by a string of numbers).
Total Site Area
This can be found on the metric file in tab 3 ("Desktop Assessment") of your metric sheet, under "15. Site area"
Remember to include the size in m2!
Details of Planning Conditions to be Discharged by this Document SM-B02
Delete the grey text and put in the relevant information. If there is nothing to put in here or you are unsure put "N/A".
Remember to save!
Author Responsible for Preparing HMMP SM-B03
Name or Initials / Role
Go to 3.1 of your Biodiversity Gain Plan and copy the information there
Organisation
Go to 3.2 of your Biodiversity Gain Plan and copy the information there
Responsibility Start Date
Put down the day you started working on this project
End Date
Put down the day you finished working on this project.
Statement of Competency
Write the following:
Completed the assessment with the assistance of the Biodiversity Net Gain Tool, provided by Joe’s Blooms and officially partnered with the National Planning Portal.
Complies with the definition of a “competent person” provided by HM Government “Small User Guide”, BSI Standards (BS 8683: 2021), and in supplementary material provided by Natural England.
The most up-to-date definition of competence is set out in the Small Site User Guide (see p.6), and in version three of the BNG metric user guide (see p.5), which states "The SSM... can be undertaken by a competent person for the habitats involved (which may be the project managers and architects on many sites)"
If you have any specific training, qualifications or experience that you think demonstrate your competence you should add them underneath these two paragraphs.
Landowner / Management Organisation Responsible for Delivering HMMP SM-B04
Name or Initials / Role
Organisation
Provide answers to Question 1 and/or Question 2 from the client survey
Responsibility Start Date
Put down the date that you submit the HMMP
End Date
Put down the date in 30 years.
Statement of Competency
If the client will manage the land themselves. Briefly describe the landowner's previous experience managing land, with particular reference to the time spent. If they don't have any such experience reference any qualifications or experience they may have which will help them discharge their duties. If they don't have any of that, reference someone on their team or who will advise them who has appropriate training, qualifications or experience.
If the client will outsource the management of the land. Briefly provide a description of the organisation, with particular emphasis on how many years they have been in business.
Site Boundary Plan SM-F01
Provide a screenshot of your pre-development map (the first map that you have in the map pdf)
Site Context Plan SM-F02
Provide a screenshot of the map showing the priority habitats around your site.
Log in to the Joe's Blooms Biodiversity Net Gain Tool and go to Basic Details
Go to Priority Habitats
Take a screenshot of the map and place it in the document
Include the following text under the screenshot: Orange represents 500m around the site. Priority habitats are indicated in purple and listed in the Biodiversity Metric sheet.
Land Use
Description of Site Use - Baseline SM-B05
To fill this in, you should use the Biodiversity Metric Sheet.
Go to Tab 5. Area habitats of the Excel sheet and go to 1a. Baseline habitats.
In "D. Total Area" all data should be copied over. If you like you can also add a short description of what the habitat is
E.g.
674.93m2 of developed land sealed surface (car park)
865.97m2 of modified grassland (field)
Add a short sentence or two describing what the land is used for and any management regimes that are currently applied.
Description of Site Use - Proposed SM-B06
Provide a short description of what you are intending to create on this project. If this involves any specific type of habitat maintenance please provide some detail on this.
Site Photos SM-F03
Please upload two photos of your site (you can choose which photos, but ideally they will give as broad an overview of the site as possible).
Site Proposals Plan SM-F04
Provide a screenshot of your post-development map (the second map that you have in the map pdf)
You should add a note under this map "Symbology is provided in attached map document."
Management Plan Aims and Objectives
Overview of Proposed Habitat Aims and Objectives SM-B07
Page 4 of 11: Project Background
Site Overview PB-B01
Please note that the above are suggested text and bold are actions
Summary of Management Plan
Habitats to be Retained, Created and Enhanced PB-B02
To fill this in, you should use the Biodiversity Metric Sheet. There are several steps to this:
STEP A: Retained Habitats
Go to Tab 5. Area habitats of the Excel sheet
In "E. Area retained" any row that has a number above zero should be entered.
E.g.
Retaining 655.92m2 of developed land sealed surface
STEP B: Created Habitats
Go to Tab 5. Area habitats of the Excel sheet and scroll down until you get to 1b Habitats to be created
All habitats in this section should be listed, along with the condition.
E.g.
Creating 7.32m2 of Artificial unvegetated, unsealed surface (N/A - other condition)
Creating 154.25m2 of Developed land; sealed surface (N/A - other condition)
Creating 153.64m2 of Developed land; sealed surface (N/A - other condition)
STEP C: Enhanced Habitats
Go to Tab 5. Area habitats of the Excel sheet and scroll down until you get to 1c Habitats to be enhanced
All habitats in this section should be listed.
E.g.
Enhancing 569.58m2 of modified grassland to "good" condition
STEP D: Trees
Go to Tab 5. Area habitats of the Excel sheet and scroll down until you get to 1d Tree area calculator
Please count the number of trees added in C. Number of new trees planted post development.
E.g.
Creating 6 new small trees.
Once done, repeat this process for Tab 6 "Hedges & Lines of Trees" and then for Tab 7 "Watercourses".
STEP E: Bringing it all together,
Once done, bring it all together:
Timescales for Actions PB-B03
In this, put whatever time period the client is happy to accept work beginning on biodiversity net gain.
Monitoring Requirements PB-B04
In this, put whatever time period the client is happy to update the LPA on the progress made to look after the habitats.
Required Consents and Licences PB-B05
"See "Legal Agreement" below"
Funding PB-B06
In this box, enter how the client intends to fund the creation and enhancement of the habitats.
Legal Agreement PB-B07
"Legal agreement to be enshrined in either a Section 106 or Conservation Covenant agreed with the Local Planning Authority."
Site Boundary Plan PB-F01
On this page, remove the image and state "Please see attached habitat plan (pre-development and post-development)"
Site Context Plan PB-F02
On this page, remove the image and state "Please see attached habitat plan (pre-development and post-development)"
You may also wish to state which National Character Area and Local Planning Authority you are in
Click on the magnifying glass in the top right hand of the maop, Search for the address of your site
Click to see the Local Planning Authority
With this option selected, click on the map to see the LPA
Now untick "Local Authority" and instead tick "National Character Area".
Now you can enter in this information, E.g.
Will the proposed work measures be delivered in phases? PB-B08
Select "No"
Ecologist or Other Professional Responsible for HMMP PB-B09
In Names or Initials, put down the name of the person filling in the HMMP (i.e. your name!)
In Organisation, put down the name of the organisation the named person words for (i.e. the company you work for)
In Start Date and End Date, put down the dates you started and ended working on the project (the end date can be in the future).
For Responsibility, state, "Acted as Competent Person for the completion of the Biodiversity Metric Sheet."
For the Statement of Competency, state "Completed the assessment with the assistance of the Biodiversity Net Gain Tool, provided by Joe’s Blooms and officially partnered with the National Planning Portal Meets the definition of a “competent person” provided by HM Government “Small User Guide”, and in supplementary material provided by Natural England. This definition of competence is set out in the Small Site User Guide (see p.6), and in version three of the BNG metric user guide (see p.5), which states "The SSM... can be undertaken by a competent person for the habitats involved (which may be the project managers and architects on many sites)"
NB you may wish to expand this section with any additional experience, training or qualifications you have with habitats (e.g. any landscaping experience).
Landowner or Land Manager PB-B10
In Names or Initials, put down the name of the land owner or land manager
In Organisation, put down the name of the organisation the land owner or land manager works for
In Start Date and End Date, put down N/A
For Responsibility, provide the answer to question 6 of the Client Questionnaire
For the Statement of Competency, provide the answer to question 4 of the Client Questionnaire.
Management Organisation(s) Responsible for Implementing the HMMP PB-B11
For this section, you can (if the client states that they are the one who will manage the habitats, put down N/A (same as PB-B10)"
If the client has said that they will be using a company, provide the details.
LPA or Responsible Body for Reviewing HMMP PB-B12
You can leave this blank if you don't have this information yet.
Overview of Baseline Site Use PB-B13
Go to Tab 5. Area habitats of the Excel sheet
In "D. Total Area" please copy the information from Column B and D
E.g
674.93m2 of developed land, sealed surface
865.97m2 of modified grassland
Site is a playing field with some sealed surface playing ground.
Final steps
Make sure you review the checklist of contents completed on page 3, and ensure that all the boxes are ticked!
Adding a photo
To add a photo, simply click on the photo icon in the blue box, that will open up an "upload" window. Simply select the photo you want to add.