Sometimes, an LPA officer will send back a rejection, stating that the small site metric has to be completed by a professional ecologist. Unless your site meets the criteria below, this is incorrect - the Government has been extremely clear - and repeatedly clear - that a small site metric can be completed by a "competent person" NOT a professional ecologist.

LPA officers have an important job in making sure that the data is accurate and that it is appropriate for them to challenge habitat types and condition assessments. However, they cannot and should not seek to force or oblige a developer who uses a small site metric to use an ecologist. This is set out by the Government:

"The developer is responsible for selecting the competent person for completing the SSM. The competent person does not need to be an ecologist for the SSM. The Local Planning Authority does not need to verify the competent person" (emphasis added)

Natural England has also made clear that the Small Site Metric does not require an ecologist.

Furthermore, the Government has said it would be inappropriate for an LPA to put extra steps into the BNG process beyond the statutory framework. This means it is wrong for an LPA to require, oblige, recommend or in any other way try and require the metric to be completed by anyone other than a "competent person" as defined by statutory documentation. (This belief sometimes stems from lobbying of the LPA from an organisation or individual who offers ecological services).