Law firm and UKPF partner Blandy & Blandy has teamed up with ecology consultancy EPR to help developers and landowners navigate the new biodiversity net gain (BNG) legislation.
EPR (Ecological Planning & Research) will provide a host of survey and assessment services alongside Blandy’s legal services to help avoid risks of non-compliance.
Developers in England need to achieve a 10 per cent BNG from their schemes compared to the site’s  pre-development value.
Blandy’s says non-compliance can lead to delays in obtaining planning permissions, financial consequences and reputational damage. Developers and landowners who fail to meet BNG requirements risk regulatory scrutiny, legal costs and adverse impacts on future projects. They can also face future reputational fallout if they fail to deliver high-integrity BNG units.
Under the new partnership, developers will receive support to meet BNG requirements, with Blandys customising legal documentation in each case. EPR will help quantify required biodiversity gains and then outline the steps required.
For landowners, EPR will assess the suitability of land for BNG, forecast achievable biodiversity unit uplifts and provide advice on the necessary habitat management and monitoring while Blandys will secure legal agreements or conservation covenants to protection against legal and financial risks. Blandys will help landowners prepare to sell surplus BNG units.
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