A wildflower meadow in England. Credit: Getty Images.
We have reached a significant milestone in implementing Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs).
Earlier this week the final biodiversity gain statements were formally laid in Parliament and are now available on GOV.UK. These statements are central to applying BNG to the NSIP regime and accompany the two statutory instruments in May. Together, the secondary legislation and gain statements formally confirm the implementation date of 2 November 2026, giving developers certainty of the mandatory requirement.
The gain statements set out how to calculate, deliver, and report on BNG providing clarity for developers and decision-makers, ensuring that major infrastructure projects leave biodiversity in a measurably better state than before development.
Each statement links to the relevant national policy statement, and one applies to NSIPs with no national policy statement. This creates a consistent set of requirements across all NSIP types.
We have also published the first batch of guidance to support stakeholders in preparing for implementation. This includes:
guidance on what to include in BNG baselines for NSIPs (delivering on the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce Review recommendation to introduce a streamlined framework for NSIPs. The guidance provides further clarity that for NSIPs, BNG is only required on habitats impacted by the development, rather than the entire development site) updates to the statutory biodiversity metric user guide so that it applies clearly to NSIPsFurther guidance will be issued to provide additional clarity on how the requirements should be applied and support a smooth transition.
Have your say on our residential brownfield consultation
The consultation on a potential targeted exemption for brownfield residential development is open until 23:59 on 10 June 2026.
We are seeking views on the rationale for any further exemption, the definition of brownfield residential development, potential size thresholds for any exemption, and measures to ensure any exemption is designed to minimise negative environmental impacts.
If you would like to share your views, please visit Citizen Space.
seen at 18:30, 4 June in Environment.