Kettering BNG advice
Biodiversity Net Gain in Kettering
Plan your Kettering 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 Kettering site.
Local planning guidance
Who decides development applications in Kettering?
North Northamptonshire Council is the unitary planning authority for ordinary Kettering development. Former Kettering Borough Council no longer acts as a separate LPA; Kettering's 2021 Part 2 plan remains an operative geographical policy document within the new unitary area. Northampton and Daventry are in West Northamptonshire, whose 2014 Joint Core Strategy and different 2026 LNRS do not apply in Kettering. Check any minerals/waste consent route separately.
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 Kettering?
North Northamptonshire's Joint Core Strategy 2011–2031 was adopted in July 2016. Adopted Policy 4 Biodiversity and Geodiversity protects internationally, nationally and locally important sites, priority habitats and ecological networks. The Kettering Site Specific Part 2 Local Plan was formally adopted 1 December 2021 and replaced the former Kettering 1995 plan. It adds mapped allocations and local ecology/landscape constraints that need checking against the exact site, alongside neighbourhood plans.
| Adopted policy or document | What it covers | Practical implication for the application |
|---|---|---|
| Policy 4 — Biodiversity and Geodiversity | North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy adopted July 2016 | Protect local wildlife sites, priority habitats and corridor function, apply avoidance/mitigation and appropriate habitat enhancement evidence. |
| Kettering SSP2 — Adopted site-specific allocations and policies | Kettering Part 2 Local Plan adopted 1 December 2021 | Check land allocations, green infrastructure, trees, rivers and ecological protections on the actual interactive policies map. |
| Upper Nene SPA Guidance 2026 — Internationally protected waterbirds | New North Northamptonshire 2026 technical mitigation, separate from BNG | Screen likely recreation impact and functionally linked bird habitat for eligible schemes, without assuming a universal fee. |
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?
North Northamptonshire Council began preparing a single Local Plan to 2045. Its scoping consultation ran 20 May to 1 July 2026, after which further engagement and formal plan preparation remained outstanding. That is not a newly adopted Kettering 2045 Local Plan and does not replace the 2016 JCS or the December 2021 Part 2. The current unitary adopted plan, national 2026 BNG changes and applicable site designation must be consulted before relying on early emerging policies.
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 Kettering?
The North Northamptonshire LNRS was published 5 March 2025 and includes an interactive habitat opportunities map relevant to Kettering. In May 2026, the council issued additional important-species information to support recovery. Applicants should use the North map, not West Northamptonshire's separate September 2026 map, and check a specified proposed habitat measure, actual parcel and statutory metric criteria before claiming strategic significance.
The North Northamptonshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy was published 5 March 2025, with North Northamptonshire 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?
Kettering's urban trees, parks, older field hedges and River Ise/tributary habitats support potential ecological connections. Wider Rockingham Forest woodlands and meadow pockets can provide restoration opportunities where soils and current habitats fit, but central Kettering sites are not automatically woodland. Brownfield railway and employment plots may support scrub, grassland or ecological value, so an existing UKHab survey and condition assessment are essential.
The Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits SPA/Ramsar is internationally protected across the wider North/West unitary landscape. The councils adopted revised 2026 recreation mitigation technical guidance with a 5.9km zone for eligible development, and protected-waterbird functional land can require separate appraisal beyond that recreational zone. Kettering site proposals must be screened by actual distance, drainage, visitor pressure and bird impact; not all Kettering land automatically triggers a contribution.
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 Kettering development opportunities be approached?
Kettering's site-specific Part 2 policies map guides housing and employment site allocations; the Council is also undertaking ecological improvement outside the town near Gawthrops Meadow. New housing near urban edges should preserve hedgerows, consider local landscape and field biodiversity, and plan ecological connectivity rather than assuming a generic tree density. For an actual scheme, confirm its site allocation and current status before describing any proposed development as approved.
Gawthrops Meadow is a planned woodland project, not a unit bank
North Northamptonshire Council announced on 30 October 2026 that 2.45 hectares of Gawthrops Meadow outside Kettering would become a new community woodland. It expected volunteers to plant more than 3,100 trees over the following two years under a Forestry Commission-funded scheme. This is an example of planned landscape-scale recovery and public involvement, rather than evidence that the trees are already established or registered offsite BNG units. An applicant cannot assume they can purchase units from the meadow.
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?
On 30 October 2026, North Northamptonshire Council announced a new 2.45-hectare community woodland at Gawthrops Meadow on the outskirts of Kettering. The council said volunteers would plant more than 3,100 native trees over the following two years, funded by the Forestry Commission's England Woodland Creation Offer. The project is planned, not proof all trees had been planted, and the council did not establish it as currently registered or saleable statutory BNG units.
Local planning guidance
What BNG evidence does North Northamptonshire 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.
North Northamptonshire's planning applications gateway includes a BNG explanatory note, wildlife checklist and habitat metric documentation. Parts of the council's inherited notes still refer to pre-statutory Biodiversity Metric 4.0 or the former self-build exemption. The government's published statutory metric and 6 August 2026 legal changes take precedence. Check the application category and site-specific local list rather than making every small Kettering scheme submit a full final gain plan before consent.
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 North Northamptonshire LNRS and Gawthrops Meadow community woodland programme may show relevant nature-recovery priorities. They are not independent evidence that registered offsite biodiversity units are available for developers to buy there. A developer must check actual gain site registration, allocated/available habitat type, legal security and spatial risk through the government biodiversity gain-sites register.
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: North Northamptonshire 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 North Northamptonshire 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 | Use correct North Northamptonshire LNRS and 2016 Policy 4, check River Ise/tribuary and hedgerow corridors, and screen 2026 Upper Nene SPA/HRA where the actual scheme has relevant impact. | 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 Kettering project budget for?
A Kettering project may require separate UKHab baseline, condition survey, tree/hedgerow assessment, metric and targeted protected species work. The 2026 Upper Nene SPA strategy published £371.17 per qualifying dwelling plus £85 application administration for applicable recreation mitigation, not a BNG price. The council must confirm whether a specific scheme is subject to it and whether rates have changed before budgeting.
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 Kettering
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 Kettering 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 Kettering.
Which authority determines Kettering planning applications?
North Northamptonshire Council is the unitary planning authority. The former Kettering Borough planning area retains an adopted 2021 Part 2 plan, but it is no longer a separate council. Northampton is in West Northamptonshire.
When was Kettering's current Part 2 Local Plan adopted?
The Kettering Site Specific Part 2 Local Plan was formally adopted on 1 December 2021. It operates alongside the adopted July 2016 North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy, including Policy 4 Biodiversity and Geodiversity.
Is the North Northamptonshire 2045 Local Plan adopted?
No. The new unitary Local Plan was at scoping in 2026, with consultation 20 May to 1 July. That consultation did not replace the 2016 and 2021 adopted plans.
Does Kettering use the West Northamptonshire nature-recovery map?
No. North Northamptonshire Council published its own LNRS on 5 March 2025. West Northamptonshire's separate strategy was published in September 2026 and applies across the other unitary area.
Has Gawthrops Meadow already delivered 3,100 BNG trees or units?
The council announced in October 2026 that more than 3,100 trees would be planted during the following two years at a 2.45ha community woodland. It is a public nature-recovery project, not proof planted trees or registered developer units.
Does every Kettering development pay an Upper Nene SPA contribution?
No. The June 2026 strategy's 5.9km recreational screening and published SAMM charge are for qualifying schemes with relevant protected-site effects. Kettering's actual site boundary, land use and current guidance determine if mitigation is needed.
Does every Kettering 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 Kettering 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 Kettering?
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 Kettering 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 Kettering 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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Kettering BNG
Sources and references
Reviewed 10 November 2026.
Official planning and nature recovery sources
- North Northamptonshire published LNRS
- Adopted Kettering Site Specific Part 2 Local Plan
- Adopted North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy
- New North Northamptonshire Local Plan
- Gawthrops Meadow community woodland announcement
- Planning application gateway and BNG checklists
- Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits SPA 2026 guidance
- West Northamptonshire 2026 SPA companion technical guidance
- Current national BNG guidance
- Updated statutory metric tools
- National Planning Policy Framework: biodiversity policies N1 and N2