1. What percentage biodiversity net gain does your local authority currently require?
10%
2. How many employees are currently directly employed by the authority to specifically/solely support the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements?
We have a number of staff members employed to deliver BNG (including planning officers, ecologists, legal support etc) but none are employed with their sole responsibility on just BNG.
3. Has the local authority created any new positions specifically to support the delivery of BNG requirements since 1 April 2023?
No
4. Has your authority invested in specific training or upskilling for existing staff to manage BNG assessments, requirements, or policies since 1 April 2023?
Yes
5. If so, how much money has been invested in specific training or upskilling for existing staff to manage BNG assessments, requirements, or policies in total since 1 April 2023?
Approximately £10,000
6. Has your authority hired external consultants or third-party experts to assist with BNG implementation since 1 April 2023? (Yes/no)
Yes, we have hired freelance ecologists to help deal with the increase in planning consultations and BNG implementation, but not all their work has included BNG.
7. If so, how much has been spent on external consultants or third-party experts to assist with BNG implementation since 1 April 2023?
We do not hold this information but we can confirm that £32161.40 has been spent on external ecological consultants. Not all of that would have been spent looking at applications in which BNG was a requirement.
8. Has any additional budget been allocated specifically for implementing or enforcing BNG requirements? (Yes/no)
Yes Defra grant funding has been allocating for BNG implementation. Future Defra funding is currently unknwown after this financial year.
9. If so, please provide the total additional budget assigned for this purpose for:
2024/25 – £26,807
2025-2026 – Unknown
2026-2027 – Unknown