Delivering nature recovery through biodiversity net gain

The potential measures mapping has an important role in the delivery of meaningful biodiversity net gain. Biodiversity net gain is a mandatory requirement that aims to make sure that development has a measurably positive impact on biodiversity. This “gain” is calculated using a standardised metric, which identifies the biodiversity value of the land lost and the biodiversity gained.

The 2025 updated planning guidance notes that Local Nature Recovery Strategies will identify areas where habitat creation, restoration or enhancement would be most beneficial for nature recovery and wider environmental outcomes and that the Strategies can play a critical role in supporting offsite gains to be delivered in a way that maximises biodiversity benefits, when these are required to achieve a development’s biodiversity gain objective. This can help to support bigger and more joined-up areas in which our wildlife can thrive.

Local Nature Recovery Strategies are designed to promote the delivery of offsite biodiversity gain in the right places, where offsite provision is needed to meet the biodiversity gain condition for a development and it cannot be met in full through onsite habitat enhancements.

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy can be used as a key source of information regarding strategic approaches to off-site biodiversity net gain delivery and connections to existing habitat, when local planning authorities are carrying out their functions in respect of biodiversity net gain.

The statutory biodiversity metric formula takes different factors into account, including the habitat’s size, condition, type and strategic significance.  Strategic significance is the local significance of the habitat based on its location and habitat type.  Where a Local Nature Recovery Strategy has been published, high strategic significance (and the associated score) is applied when:

• the location of the habitat parcel has been mapped in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy as an area where a potential measure has been proposed to help deliver the priorities of the Strategy; and
• the proposed intervention is consistent with the mapped potential measure in the Local Nature Recovery Strategy for the habitat parcel.

The mapping tool can assist you in identifying whether the land and action you are planning will meet the criteria for strategic significance.  For the latest government guidance on how the LNRS informs strategic significance, in particular in relation to land within Areas of Particular Importance to Biodiversity see Biodiversity net gain – GOV.UK

Further information is also available from Biodiversity Net Gain for Kent and Medway but please note that these pages have not yet been updated since publication of the Kent and Medway Local Nature Recovery Strategy.  If you have any questions, please contact mailto:naturerecovery@kent.gov.uk