Derby BNG advice
Biodiversity Net Gain in Derby
Plan your Derby development around local habitats, planning requirements and practical biodiversity gains.
ACP Consultants can help with habitat surveys, biodiversity metric calculations and a practical BNG delivery plan for your Derby site.
Local planning guidance
Who decides development applications in Derby?
Derby City Council determines ordinary residential and commercial applications inside the City of Derby. South Derbyshire, Erewash and Amber Valley councils decide neighbouring land outside the City boundary; Derbyshire County Council has separate minerals/waste planning responsibilities and leads the shared LNRS. A Derby postcode or proximity to the River Derwent cannot establish the planning authority without an accurate red-line site map.
Local planning guidance
Adopted and emerging planning policy
Start with the adopted policies and the actual site boundary. Then establish the evidence needed for the proposal and its planning stage.
Which adopted biodiversity policies apply in Derby?
Derby City adopted Local Plan Part 1 Core Strategy on 25 January 2017, forming its statutory plan with remaining saved 2006 City policies. Relevant policies include CP16 Green Infrastructure, CP17 Public Green Space, CP18 Green Wedges and CP19 Biodiversity. CP19 supports safeguarding priority habitat and making measurable improvements, while CP16 integrates river and public green networks. They remain operative despite the new draft 2023–2043 plan.
| Adopted policy or document | What it covers | Practical implication for the application |
|---|---|---|
| CP19 — Biodiversity | Derby City Local Plan Part 1 Core Strategy adopted 25 January 2017 | Survey baseline habitats, priority species and connected networks; design avoidance and suitable gain alongside the statutory metric. |
| CP16 — Green Infrastructure | Adopted Derby City Core Strategy | Protect and link the River Derwent, neighbourhood green space and green wedges when designing new development. |
| CP18 — Green Wedges | Adopted Derby City Core Strategy | Check actual mapped green wedge land before treating an urban-edge parcel as an unrestricted housing allocation. |
| EN10 (draft) — Biodiversity Net Gain, proposed new Local Plan | 2026 Regulation19 draft, NOT adopted | Consider suggested same-ward offsite preference as emerging only; do not enforce it as current adopted policy. |
The requirements above are separate from the later national statutory BNG condition. A project should not achieve numerical gains by damaging priority habitats, designated land or protected species. Existing trees, water bodies, wetlands, wildlife corridors and high-value grassland must be assessed under their own applicable protections.
Which proposed plans should applicants monitor?
The new Derby Local Plan 2023–2043 held a Regulation 19 pre-submission consultation in summer 2026, closing 8 September. Derby City Council confirms the consultation is closed and representations were being reviewed, with submission intended by the end of 2026. The draft includes proposed EN10 Biodiversity Net Gain and suggests offsite delivery within the same ward before adjacent wards, but this is not yet an adopted policy. The council's current Part 1 and saved 2006 policies therefore remain operative.
A consultation or Gateway stage is not an adopted Local Plan. Therefore, the plan currently in force, any relevant made neighbourhood plan and the 2026 National Planning Policy Framework continue to guide decisions.
Local planning guidance
How does the Local Nature Recovery Strategy apply to Derby?
The Derbyshire and Derby LNRS was published in September 2025, with Derbyshire County Council as responsible authority and Derby City Council supporting preparation. Its mapped priorities can help identify suitable improvements to River Derwent habitats, urban trees, grasslands, wetlands and green corridors. Because this is a strategic map, a parcel only qualifies for any relevant metric strategic significance where the actual proposed habitat measure matches the published location and government tool criteria.
The Derbyshire and Derby Local Nature Recovery Strategy was published September 2025, with Derbyshire County Council as responsible authority. Its Local Habitat Map identifies existing important habitats and locations where specified measures can support nature recovery.
An ecologist must test whether a proposed enhancement genuinely matches the relevant mapped measure. An LNRS opportunity polygon cannot replace a field survey, create units automatically or make a habitat gain site legally registered. Download the current map and retain its source/date when justifying strategic significance.
Local planning guidance
Local habitats and site considerations
Use habitats within and connected to your site to scope surveys and retain important ecological connections.
What makes biodiversity assessment locally specific?
The River Derwent runs through Derby, interacting with floodplain, riparian habitats, green space and wildlife corridors. Existing city green wedges and older parkland trees can support ecological connectivity, while former industrial and railway land may provide unmanaged scrub or valuable open mosaic habitat. Watercourse works can need separate river condition and species assessment. Avoid assigning generic modified grassland values to a previously developed site without field evidence.
The City's adopted CP19 and green infrastructure policies safeguard designated habitats and protected species. Near the River Derwent, applicants may need to review otters, bats, aquatic ecology and riparian trees, depending on actual impact pathways. Green wedges and wildlife corridors have planning functions but their titles do not automatically determine the exact UKHab condition or statutory biodiversity units on a particular red-line site.
Protected-species licensing, statutory site impact assessment, woodland or tree protection and any relevant watercourse assessment remain separate from BNG. A development exempt from the statutory condition may still need to avoid or mitigate ecological harm.
How should Derby development opportunities be approached?
Derby's long-running Our City Our River flood alleviation programme connects River Derwent flood protection, accessibility and improvement of urban riverside space. It appears in adopted CP16 as a strategic green-infrastructure programme, and its measures can influence actual adjacent land redevelopment. The project is not proof that a particular developer's statutory BNG units have been approved or delivered; council flood designs and land parcels must be checked separately.
Proposed EN10 offsite sequence does not override adopted CP19
Derby City’s emerging 2023–2043 plan includes draft EN10 Biodiversity Net Gain. Its associated Habitats Regulations screening explains a proposed geographic sequence favouring offsite gains in the same ward, then nearby wards. The Regulation 19 consultation has closed but the policy is not adopted. The current Derby development plan still uses adopted CP19 Biodiversity and CP16 Green Infrastructure, while the later national statutory hierarchy governs onsite/offsite choices for applicable applications. An emerging local preference is not a substitute for legally allocated registered units.
For a constrained scheme, first map existing vegetation, watercourses and habitats, then compare the proposed layout with avoidance and retention options. Habitat creation must suit soils, drainage, shading, public access and achievable long-term management. Do not infer biodiversity condition from the former industrial or agricultural land use.
Local planning guidance
What can applicants learn from local evidence?
Derby City Council published its first statutory BNG report covering 12 February 2024 to 1 January 2026. The report tracks eligible applications, approved gain plans and units reported through planning processes. This is genuine local authority monitoring of statutory BNG, but individual habitat outcomes and unit allocations require their own records.
Local planning guidance
What BNG evidence does Derby City Council expect?
For development subject to statutory BNG, the national application-stage information normally includes:
- Whether the applicant considers the biodiversity gain condition applicable, with reason if exempt.
- The pre-development biodiversity value, completed appropriate published statutory metric, and version/publication date.
- Any earlier baseline date and reasons where relevant.
- Details of habitat degradation and earlier calculations where applicable.
- Any irreplaceable habitat on the red-line site.
- A scaled map showing current onsite habitats and a north point.
Derby City Council updated its planning application guidance specifically on 6 August 2026, acknowledging the new <=0.2ha exemption and changes to self-build treatment and non-major delivery hierarchy. Applicants should use the current local validation list, appropriate metric/UKHab map and any proportionate ecological evidence under CP19. Its general simplified statements about temporary development or ignoring the hierarchy must still be read against the full statutory priority habitat and transition provisions.
Additional ecology or landscape reports may be necessary and proportionate for specific impacts. Confirm the current council validation checklist and application type rather than assuming one universal report package. The final Biodiversity Gain Plan is normally approved after planning permission, before commencement, rather than being required universally with the first application.
For help commissioning evidence, see our BNG assessment service and habitat surveys.
Local planning guidance
What are the current statutory rules?
Qualifying development in England normally needs 10% statutory BNG. From 6 August 2026, a new application on a whole development site of 0.2 hectares or less can be exempt where no onsite priority habitat is adversely affected. Certain wholly temporary schemes lasting five years or less may also qualify; the former dedicated self/custom-build exemption no longer applies to new applications. Older cases and section 73 permissions require their own transitional assessment.
The 29 September 2026 NPPF, policies N1(2) and N2(3), restricts mandatory local BNG requirements above the statutory level to specific, justified and deliverable allocations. A general aspiration to improve biodiversity should not be misrepresented as an adopted blanket 20% requirement.
The latest government statutory metric, as at 10 November 2026, is v1.1.1, updated 10 November 2026. GOV.UK permits any published statutory metric version where appropriate; pre-statutory Metric 4.0 is not an accepted mandatory tool. An eligible smaller scheme may instead use the separate Small Sites Metric.
For decision criteria, see our BNG exemptions guide and statutory biodiversity metric service.
Local planning guidance
What if suitable biodiversity gains cannot be delivered onsite?
The emerging draft EN10 suggests same-ward or nearby offsite opportunities for Derby development, but it remains a proposed policy and cannot itself confirm any current registered habitat units. Derby's shared LNRS guides habitat suitability, not legal registration. For a buyer, verify exact unit type, bank, agreement, spatial-risk multiplier and allocated availability in the government register instead of assuming the City can supply all gains.
For major development, appropriate onsite creation/enhancement normally has priority under the national gain hierarchy. For qualifying non-major applications made from 6 August 2026, onsite and registered offsite gains may be considered at an equivalent hierarchy level. Statutory biodiversity credits remain the last resort.
Any proposed offsite units must meet habitat-trading, spatial-risk, legal agreement, government gain-site registration and allocation rules. A local supplier's brochure, LNRS opportunity map or projected bank cannot demonstrate current saleable units. Significant onsite and registered offsite gains generally require at least 30 years of secure habitat management.
Our offsite biodiversity units guide and Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan service explain the respective stages.
Your site checklist
Seven checks before commissioning a BNG calculation
Use these seven checks to prepare a proportionate brief for your site assessment and planning submission.
| Check | Site evidence | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Planning authority | Confirm the red-line boundary and the actual decision-maker: Derby City Council; check any separately identified planning geography. | Select the correct adopted plan, map and application validation list. |
| BNG applicability | Record the application date, whole site hectares, onsite priority habitats, development type and any earlier or section 73 permission. | Test the legally correct exemption, transition and delivery hierarchy. |
| Surveyed habitat | Obtain UKHab parcels, habitat conditions, hedgerows, watercourses, trees, photographs and protected-species evidence. | Determine survey scope, habitat condition and appropriate statutory metric modules. |
| Published LNRS | Check the Derbyshire and Derby Local Nature Recovery Strategy current Local Habitat Map and the exact matching habitat measure, not just an opportunity colour. | Justify the proposed measure against the published LNRS map and site location. |
| Protected sites | Check River Derwent and green wedge/preserved tree networks, any watercourse-condition impacts and protected species in the actual Derby City parcel; don't assume all Derby sites are floodplain land. | Identify HRA, protected species, watercourse or other separate safeguards. |
| Gain-delivery route | Test viable onsite habitat, current habitat trading, genuine government-registered off-site allocation and significant enhancement management. | Check actual habitat trading, registered allocations, spatial risk and feasible habitat creation. |
| Application and stewardship | Use the appropriate council's application documents and prepare final gain-plan and long-term management at the right stage. | Align initial evidence, postpermission gain-plan approval and long-term stewardship. |
Local planning guidance
Project planning and delivery
Build the planning evidence around a consistent habitat baseline, site layout and metric. The steps below connect the application documents with practical habitat delivery.
What should a Derby project budget for?
A Derby scheme's costs depend on the habitat survey, river/watercourse modules, conditions, possible bats or protected tree evidence, and final habitat gain management. The City publishes an application validation list and statutory BNG reporting. Monitor any council inspection/legal fee separately from consultancy or purchase cost, and request current quotations for the real development.
Keep the costs of UKHab and condition surveys, the statutory metric, targeted protected-species work, registered offsite biodiversity units, legal obligations, and long-term habitat monitoring separate. These are not interchangeable fees. No generic market price can replace an actual quotation, and a council fee documented for a protected-site scheme is not the price of statutory BNG units.
A final Biodiversity Gain Plan for qualifying permission normally comes after consent and before commencement. Significant gains need realistic legal stewardship and a suitable habitat management/monitoring plan, often for at least 30 years.
Read our Biodiversity Gain Plan guide and BNG cost categories.
Practical assessment steps for Derby
First — establish the planning context. Supply the development boundary, proposals, expected application date and known planning authority. Identify current adopted policy, national BNG applicability, LNRS territory and any important constraints.
Next — survey and calculate. Scope UKHab, habitat condition, area/hedgerow/watercourse modules and, where justified, protected-species or Habitats Regulations work. Record metric version and survey assumptions transparently.
Then — plan realistic delivery. Seek habitat retention and appropriate onsite design. Assess any registered offsite shortfall and long-term management needs, without promising units or planning permission before a defensible assessment.
CTA: Request a Derby BNG project quotation — the approved original native three-step enquiry form, unchanged.
Local planning guidance
Frequently asked questions
These answers cover common planning, habitat and delivery questions for projects in Derby.
Is Derby City Council the planning authority for Derby BNG?
Yes, for most development within the City boundary. Derbyshire County Council leads the shared LNRS and has different minerals/waste functions, while surrounding Erewash, Amber Valley and South Derbyshire councils handle their own parcels.
Which adopted Derby biodiversity policy applies?
Derby City Local Plan Part 1 Core Strategy adopted 25 January 2017 includes CP19 Biodiversity, CP16 Green Infrastructure and CP18 Green Wedges, supplemented by remaining saved 2006 policies and site mapping.
Is Derby's draft EN10 policy adopted?
No. EN10 was proposed in the 2026 Regulation 19 draft Local Plan 2023–2043. The consultation had closed on 8 September 2026 and the City was reviewing responses; adoption requires later examination and a formal decision.
Does the Derbyshire LNRS apply inside Derby city?
Yes. The Derbyshire and Derby LNRS was published in September 2025 and includes Derby City, but Derbyshire County Council's responsible-authority role does not transfer City development-control powers.
Can a River Derwent project avoid watercourse assessment by achieving 10% BNG?
No. Watercourse habitat calculations, river condition, flooding, protected species and environmental permits may arise separately from area habitat units. Survey the actual bank and drainage effects and use the appropriate metric module.
Does Our City Our River mean an adjacent developer can claim delivered BNG units?
No. Our City Our River is a published flood-management and green-infrastructure programme. It is not an independently verified bank allocation or evidence that a separate planning application's 30-year BNG outcome has been delivered.
Does Derby's proposed EN10 same-ward offsite preference apply now?
EN10 was included in Derby's proposed 2026 replacement Local Plan, whose Regulation 19 consultation closed in September. It is not an adopted local policy. Any offsite solution must first satisfy current national statutory rules and the operative Derby 2017 Core Strategy.
Does every Derby development need 10% Biodiversity Net Gain?
No. Qualifying development normally needs 10%, but the legal exemptions and transitions are important. New applications from 6 August 2026 can qualify for the conditional exemption on a site of 0.2 hectares or less where no onsite priority habitat is adversely affected. Protected species and habitats can require separate evidence.
Can a small site in Derby use the Small Sites Metric?
Only if the development and habitats meet the government's Small Sites Metric eligibility rules. Site area or number of dwellings alone does not decide this. The main statutory metric may be required instead, particularly where sensitive habitats or other exclusions apply.
When is the final Biodiversity Gain Plan approved in Derby?
For eligible permissions the final Biodiversity Gain Plan is normally submitted and approved after planning permission and before development starts. The original application needs the national baseline information plus any necessary and proportionate evidence required under the correct authority's current validation list.
Can I purchase off-site biodiversity units for a Derby project?
Potentially, provided the units meet the relevant habitat-trading, registration, legal allocation and spatial-risk rules. Availability, unit classes and prices have to be checked for the actual scheme. A supplier's website or nature-recovery map is not proof of available allocated units.
Project support
How ACP can help with your Derby project
ACP can help you plan the surveys, calculations and documents your site needs. We agree the scope around your proposal, its planning stage and the habitats affected.
Survey, design and planning support
- Habitat surveys and condition assessments.
- Statutory metric calculations and design options.
- BNG reports and planning submission support.
- Gain plans and habitat management documents.
Talk to ACP / Site enquiries
What does your site need next?
Tell us where the site is, what you plan to build and how far the application has progressed. We’ll use that context to discuss the surveys, calculations or plans your project needs.
What to have to handA red-line plan, an existing ecology report or a request from the council can help us scope the work. Start with whatever you already have.
Request a site-specific quotation
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Derby BNG
Sources and references
Reviewed 10 November 2026.
Official planning and nature recovery sources
- Published Derbyshire and Derby LNRS
- Adopted Core Strategy CP16 green infrastructure
- Emerging Local Plan for Derby 2023–2043
- Derby City draft Local Plan HRA screening
- Submitting a planning application and 2026 BNG update
- Biodiversity Net Gain and Duty reporting
- Adopted Derby Part 1 Core Strategy start date
- Current national BNG guidance
- Updated statutory metric tools
- National Planning Policy Framework: biodiversity policies N1 and N2