BNG and faster decision-making

Northumberland County Council is a county-level unitary planning authority located in the north of England. The Council recognised early that effective BNG implementation would require streamlined processes and clear guidance for applicants. Rather than waiting for all details to be finalised nationally, the Council took proactive steps to establish their own systems and requirements. 

The Council's Planning Department includes a small team of natural environment specialists who lead on all BNG matters for the Council. The in-house team benefits from institutional knowledge and extensive understanding of local ecological conditions and habitat types.  

This expertise enables rapid review and assessment of BNG proposals without spending time and incurring costs in appointing external consultants, and consistent implementation of standards and requirements across all planning applications. Officers engage in direct dialogue with applicants and their ecological consultants to resolve technical issues and make decisions quickly without the delays associated with commissioning and waiting for external advice.  

The Council strongly encourages pre-application discussions for developments requiring BNG. This early engagement allows the ecology team to identify potential ecological constraints and opportunities before formal submission of the application and provide guidance on what will be required for the application. Flagging potential issues with the applicant's approach before time and resources are invested in detailed surveys and assessments and discuss potential on-site and off-site options for delivering BNG. This upfront investment of time significantly reduces delays later in the process, as applications arrive with the right information and realistic proposals.  

The Council also establishes clear requirements for BNG submissions early, rather than waiting for complete national guidance. This included guidance on acceptable approaches for different habitat types and specific validation requirements for BNG documentation and clear expectations on what is to be submitted with planning applications. 

By establishing these requirements early, applicants know exactly what is expected, reducing the likelihood of incomplete submissions that require additional information requests and cause delays.  

Northumberland’s approach demonstrates that faster decision-making does not mean compromising on environmental standards, but rather creating clear, efficient processes that enable both development and biodiversity objectives to be met.  

Peterborough City Council is a geographically diverse unitary authority that needs to consider a wide variety of habitats when developing approaches to BNG. The Council have developed a streamlined, integrated approach to processing applications with BNG requirements. The workflow combines clear procedural steps with robust data capture, enabling efficient decision-making while maintaining high ecological standards. The workflow is integrated with the Council's existing planning management software and a bespoke three-point data capture system that feeds directly into the Council's GIS infrastructure.  

When an application is received, planning officers conduct an initial assessment to determine whether BNG requirements apply. This involves checking application thresholds and exemptions using standardised checklists integrated into the Council's case management system. For applications requiring BNG, the biodiversity team review submitted metric calculations and baseline assessments. At this stage, essential data is captured through the three-point data capture system, ensuring critical information is recorded in accessible, long-term stable formats.  

Where BNG proposals are inadequate or require adjustment, the workflow includes clear escalation procedures and feedback loops. Rather than requesting information gradually, the biodiversity team provides comprehensive feedback in single communications, reducing back-and-forth communications and saving time.  

Once BNG requirements are satisfied, planning officers can proceed to determination with confidence. Standardised conditions and Section 106 clauses have been developed to ensure consistency and enforceability, reducing the time required to draft decision notices.  

Following approval, final BNG data is captured and integrated into the GIS system, creating a comprehensive spatial record of all BNG sites, baseline conditions, and monitoring requirements. This ensures the Council can effectively track and enforce BNG obligations throughout the 30-year period.  

Peterborough City Council's approach to BNG workflows demonstrates that efficient, cost-effective implementation is achievable without reliance on expensive proprietary software.   

The success of this approach underscores the value of in-house technical expertise and strategic investment in bespoke solutions tailored to local needs and contexts. While not every authority will have the technical capabilities to replicate Peterborough's exact approach, the underlying principles are transferable and valuable for all local planning authorities implementing BNG.

Bracknell Forest Council is a small unitary authority in Berkshire, southern England, centred on the towns of Bracknell and Sandhurst. The Council has developed a comprehensive approach to implementing BNG, focusing on clear guidance, efficient processes, and cross-team collaboration. The guidance for developers consolidates requirements into a single accessible document, reducing time taken on decision-making within the planning application process and ensuring development schemes consider BNG from the outset. 

The Council’s approach addresses several key challenges including limited ecological expertise, evolving national guidance, and the need for effective communication between planning policy, development management, and biodiversity teams. The Council is also establishing habitat banks to support developers in meeting BNG requirements locally. 

BNG implementation is addressed through a cross-departmental team that includes planning policy officers who oversee BNG implementation, ensuring processes are in place across different parts of the authority, and parks and countryside officers including dedicated biodiversity officers who focus on BNG and internal habitat banking projects. The team meets weekly to discuss BNG matters and coordinate policy, process and responses to planning applications across the authority. This approach builds on the Council's experience of bringing forward Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspaces (SANGs) since 2006 as part of the Thames Basin Heaths strategic mitigation project. 

Good communication between other LPAs in Berkshire and different teams within the Council is key to Bracknell Forest’s success. A group of approximately five officers including biodiversity officers, planning policy officers, parks and countryside officers, and other relevant specialists meet weekly to co-ordinate BNG implementation. These regular meetings have been essential for ensuring consistent application of BNG requirements and addressing challenges as they arise.  

The Council also chairs a quarterly BNG meetings with all the Berkshire local authorities. This presents a useful opportunity to exchange ideas and learn about different experiences and is particularly important in Berkshire as all the LPAs are small unitary authorities with no county council to provide oversight or co-ordination.  

Bracknell Forest’s experience demonstrates both the potential benefits and significant challenges of BNG implementation at the local level. Their pragmatic, collaborative approach offers valuable lessons for other authorities navigating this complex policy area.