Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) for Biodiversity Net Gain
A habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) is the essential document that shows how habitats created or enhanced under biodiversity net gain (BNG) will be maintained, monitored and reported on for the required 30-year management period. It builds on your biodiversity net gain plan by translating commitments into practical actions specifying tasks, timings, monitoring techniques and reporting cadence. Local planning authorities (LPAs) require HMMPs to ensure that promised ecological uplift is not only delivered but sustained, forming a cornerstone of modern land use planning and conservation strategies.
ACP prepares detailed, planner-ready HMMPs across England, tailored to LPA validation lists and aligned with Natural England’s official HMMP template. Each plan provides a clear framework for landscape management, wildlife management, and long-term environmental monitoring, ensuring your scheme delivers measurable biodiversity improvements in line with national policy.
You can also drop us an email at hello@acp-consultants.com and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours to help with your inquiry!
We follow a simple, transparent process to ensure your project runs smoothly from the very first contact to the final report. Our approach is designed to provide you with clarity at every step, so you’re fully informed and confident in moving forward.
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Step 1: Request a Quote
Fill out our quick quote form or call us, and our team will provide a free, no-obligation quote, outlining the services tailored to your needs.
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Step 2: Confirm Your Booking
Once you approve the quote, simply return the booking form. We’ll schedule your survey and ensure all the details are taken care of.
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Step 3: Receive Your Report
After your survey is completed and payment is received, we’ll promptly issue your survey report, ensuring you get the results as quickly as possible.
What is a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan?
A habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) is the compliance document that secures the long-term delivery of biodiversity net gain. While the biodiversity net gain plan shows how the 10% uplift will be achieved on paper, the HMMP ensures those habitats are protected, enhanced and monitored for the full 30-year management period. It provides a clear framework that planners, developers and land managers can use to meet both legal obligations and best practice in conservation ecology.
Each HMMP sets out tailored management objectives for every habitat type, whether that is species-rich grassland, hedgerows, wetlands or woodland. These objectives are supported by a detailed 30-year management schedule, broken down into seasonal tasks with identified responsible parties. To measure whether objectives are being met, the HMMP specifies appropriate monitoring techniques such as fixed-point photography, quadrats, transects and species inventory surveys. This evidence base is critical for demonstrating progress to local planning authorities.
The plan also defines a transparent reporting cadence, usually annual, with clear KPIs linked to each habitat. Where monitoring highlights shortfalls, the HMMP includes adaptive management measures such as reseeding, altering grazing, or amending maintenance regimes to bring habitats back on track. By embedding principles of ecosystem management, landscape management and long-term accountability, the HMMP acts both as a practical guide for landowners and as a binding compliance tool for LPAs. In this way, it ensures the biodiversity gains promised at planning stage are realised and sustained in practice.
Why is an HMMP required?
Since February 2024 for major developments and April 2024 for small sites planning permissions in England have been legally required to demonstrate biodiversity net gain (BNG). While the biodiversity net gain plan explains how the 10% uplift will be achieved in principle, the habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) sets out how those gains will be delivered in practice, monitored over time and secured for the full 30-year management period.
Planning authorities, statutory consultees and responsible bodies rely on HMMPs to confirm that:
- Habitat conservation measures are realistic, practical and properly costed.
- Ecological restoration commitments are enforceable under planning conditions or legal agreements.
- The proposed monitoring schedule provides a robust evidence trail to track performance.
- There is clear accountability, with roles defined for landowners, managing bodies and ecological consultants.
In short, an HMMP provides confidence that biodiversity gains won’t remain theoretical. Without a robust HMMP, the units claimed in the metric risk being undeliverable, which could jeopardise planning consent or trigger enforcement action later.
For developers, the value of a well-written HMMP is twofold: it satisfies the local planning authority’s compliance checks and it provides a practical, long-term landscape management and wildlife management tool that landowners can actually follow. By embedding measurable management objectives, reporting requirements and triggers for adaptive management, the HMMP safeguards investment and ensures biodiversity benefits are achieved and sustained well beyond the construction phase.
Our HMMP process
At ACP, we follow a structured, consulting-led approach to ensure every habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) is comprehensive, enforceable and practical for land managers. Each stage is designed to tie back to the approved biodiversity gain plan while satisfying local planning authority requirements.
Review of biodiversity assessment and gain plan
We begin by reviewing your biodiversity assessment, UKHab baseline data, and the approved biodiversity gain plan. This step ensures the HMMP is directly connected to the metric outputs and ecological commitments already agreed with the planning authority. By aligning with what has been approved, we avoid conflicts and reduce the risk of delays in condition discharge.
Setting management objectives
For each habitat type, we define clear and measurable management objectives. These objectives are achievable, realistic, and based on best practice in conservation ecology and natural resource management. For instance, a wildflower meadow may be assigned the objective of achieving 80% cover of native species within five years. These objectives form the benchmarks against which monitoring data will be assessed.
30-year management schedule
We then develop a detailed 30-year management schedule, broken down by year and season. Tasks may include mowing, coppicing, grazing, wetland maintenance, invasive species control and soil management. Each task is explicitly tied to habitat type, objectives and anticipated outcomes. This schedule ensures long-term landscape management and provides clarity for whoever is responsible for carrying out the work over three decades.
Monitoring schedule and techniques
A robust monitoring schedule is established with a defined frequency annual, biennial or seasonal as required. To generate reliable evidence, we use a combination of monitoring techniques, such as vegetation surveys, fixed-point photography, bird and bat transects, or detailed species inventory counts. Results are consistently compared against the baseline and against the HMMP’s management objectives, providing a transparent evidence trail for reporting.
Reporting cadence
We set out a clear reporting cadence typically annual reports submitted to the local planning authority and/or the responsible body overseeing the agreement. Each report summarises the management actions taken, monitoring results, and identifies whether objectives have been achieved. Where shortfalls are detected, the report also outlines recommended corrective measures, maintaining accountability and transparency throughout the 30-year period.
Adaptive management and triggers
No habitat restoration project follows a perfectly linear path. That’s why every ACP HMMP includes an adaptive management framework. If monitoring shows habitats are not performing as expected, the HMMP specifies clear triggers for intervention whether that means reseeding, adjusting grazing intensity, supplementary planting, altering mowing regimes, or re-engineering drainage. This ensures that underperforming habitats can be corrected promptly, safeguarding both compliance and long-term ecological outcomes.
In the past year, we’ve delivered over 750 audit-ready reports supporting 400+ projects for developers, planners, and architects nationwide. We put quality over quantity and build lasting relationships based on trust, ensuring your planning applications are backed by robust evidence and delivered on time.
You can also drop us an email at hello@acp-consultants.com and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours to help with your inquiry!
Deliverables
When you commission ACP to prepare a habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP), you receive a complete compliance pack tailored to your scheme and local planning authority requirements. Each element is designed to satisfy validation, support legal securing, and provide practical tools for land managers.
Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan Report (PDF)
A fully referenced, planner-ready document that sets out management objectives, monitoring methods, and adaptive management triggers. Structured in line with validation lists, it gives LPAs a clear evidence base to approve your biodiversity condition.
HMMP Template (Excel/PDF)
We complete the official HMMP template in line with Natural England’s guidance, ensuring your submission matches national expectations. This standardised format reduces the risk of delays and is recognised across England.
30-Year Management Schedule
A detailed 30-year management schedule showing seasonal tasks, responsibilities and budget estimates. This provides certainty for landowners and managing bodies, and ensures long-term landscape management and wildlife management commitments are deliverable.
Monitoring Schedule
Clear guidance on monitoring frequency and monitoring techniques from quadrats and fixed-point photography to transects and species inventory counts. Results link directly to your management objectives and feed into annual reporting.
Reporting Cadence Guidance
We define the reporting cadence usually annual and supply example templates for submissions to LPAs and responsible bodies. This helps keep regulators informed, maintains accountability, and avoids surprises during the 30-year management period.
Legal Securing Notes
Wording and responsibilities for Section 106 agreements or conservation covenants, ensuring that biodiversity commitments are enforceable for the required period.
Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan Example Tables
Illustrative HMMP example tables that summarise tasks, indicators and triggers in a format that planners and land managers can follow easily. These practical tools make the plan more than just a compliance document they turn it into a usable management guide.
Deliverables at a glance
Deliverable | Inclusions | Benefit |
HMMP Report | Full plan (PDF), objectives, compliance notes | Planner-ready validation document |
HMMP Template | Completed Natural England template | Standardised format accepted by LPAs |
30-Year Management Schedule | Year/season tasks & costs | Long-term compliance and budgeting |
Monitoring Schedule | Frequency & monitoring techniques | Transparent evidence trail |
Reporting Cadence Guidance | Templates & Frequency recommendations | Helps landowners/managers stay on track with LPA compliance |
Adaptive Management Notes | Contingency measures and triggers | Ensures underperforming habitats recover |
Timelines & costs
For straightforward sites, we can typically prepare a draft habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) within 5–10 working days of receiving your biodiversity gain plan and baseline data. This quick turnaround helps you progress planning conditions without unnecessary delay.
Our fees for a simple HMMP start from £399 + VAT, covering small schemes with standard habitat types and clear management objectives. Final pricing always reflects the specific requirements of your site, so you only pay for the level of detail needed.
Factors influencing cost and timing:
- Scale of habitats and number of parcels — larger or multi-site projects take longer to scope and manage.
- Complexity of objectives — simple grassland management may be straightforward, while wetland mosaics or woodland edge creation require more detailed prescriptions.
- Monitoring schedule requirements — some habitats need specialist surveys (e.g. bats, birds, invertebrates) or more frequent checks.
- Location and LPA validation notes — some authorities require additional documentation or HMMP template formats.
For larger or more complex projects, we create milestone timelines aligned with your design team, legal advisers and planning deadlines. This structured approach avoids bottlenecks and ensures the HMMP is fully integrated with Section 106 agreements or conservation covenants.
By commissioning ACP, you gain not just a document but a clear, realistic plan that helps secure compliance and avoid costly delays at the point of condition discharge.
Why choose ACP?
Experience across England
We have delivered habitat management and monitoring plans (HMMPs) for projects ranging from small urban infill sites to large strategic housing and infrastructure schemes. This breadth of experience means we understand how different local planning authorities interpret requirements, and we tailor each HMMP accordingly.
Integration with your BNG strategy
Every HMMP we produce is directly tied to the outputs of your biodiversity net gain plan and the statutory biodiversity metric. This ensures complete consistency between baseline evidence, uplift commitments and long-term management objectives avoiding the risk of discrepancies at validation.
Aligned with best practice
Our plans follow the recognised HMMP template published by Natural England and the latest GOV.UK guidance. This gives planning officers confidence in the format and makes it easier for legal teams to integrate commitments into Section 106 agreements or conservation covenants.
Practical, plain-English documents
An ACP HMMP is written to be used not shelved. We translate technical requirements into clear, step-by-step management objectives, monitoring schedules and reporting cadence notes that land managers, solicitors and planners can all understand and act upon.
Long-term support if required
Beyond producing the HMMP, ACP can also provide ongoing environmental monitoring and reporting services across the 30-year management period. This offers reassurance that your habitats will continue to meet performance targets and that your legal obligations are being discharged effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Habitat Management and Monitoring Plans (HMMPs)
A Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) is a crucial document that ensures the biodiversity enhancements proposed through a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) strategy are delivered, maintained, and monitored over time typically for a 30-year period. It sets out the actions, responsibilities, and reporting framework for managing habitats post-development in line with the approved BNG metric and statutory requirements. This FAQ section answers key questions about when an HMMP is required, what it should include, and how it links to the Biodiversity Gain Plan (BGP) and BNG monitoring obligations. Whether you’re a developer, ecologist, or landowner, these insights explain how to structure an HMMP for planning submission and how ACP’s specialists can help ensure long-term compliance and cost-effective management solutions.
What is a habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP)?
A habitat management and monitoring plan (HMMP) is the long-term compliance document that demonstrates how habitats created or enhanced for biodiversity net gain (BNG) will be managed, monitored and reported on for a full 30-year management period. It takes the commitments made in your biodiversity gain plan and turns them into actionable steps. A good HMMP specifies management objectives, sets out a monitoring schedule, and defines the reporting cadence so planning authorities can see that biodiversity improvements are not only delivered but sustained.
Do all developments need an HMMP?
Almost all developments subject to biodiversity net gain conditions will need a habitat management and monitoring plan. Exemptions are very limited for example, some small sites, permitted development projects, or works on land where biodiversity gain requirements do not apply. In practice, most developers commissioning a biodiversity gain plan will also require an HMMP to discharge planning conditions. Without it, LPAs often refuse to validate submissions or will delay issuing approvals. ACP advises at the outset whether your scheme needs a full HMMP or a simplified approach.
How does the HMMP relate to the biodiversity gain plan?
The biodiversity gain plan sets out what habitats will be delivered to achieve the mandatory 10% uplift. The HMMP sets out how those habitats will be managed, monitored and maintained so that the uplift is realised in practice. For example, if the gain plan promises two hectares of wildflower meadow, the HMMP will specify the ecological restoration tasks, seasonal mowing regimes, and long-term monitoring techniques needed to keep the meadow in favourable condition. Together, the two documents provide a full compliance pathway from planning approval through to delivery on the ground.
What should an HMMP include?
A complete HMMP includes:
- A detailed 30-year management schedule for each habitat type.
- Clear, measurable management objectives.
- Defined monitoring schedule and monitoring techniques such as fixed-point photography, quadrats, transects and species inventory counts.
- A set reporting cadence (typically annual).
- Adaptive management triggers to correct underperformance.
- Notes on legal securing through Section 106 or conservation covenants.
- Integration with wider conservation strategies, habitat connectivity measures and ecosystem management principles.
ACP also provides habitat management and monitoring plan examples within our reports, making it easier for landowners and LPAs to follow the plan step by step.
How often must monitoring take place?
Most local planning authorities expect at least annual monitoring reports for each HMMP, submitted to the LPA and/or responsible body. Some sensitive habitats may require seasonal or biennial checks, especially wetlands, woodland edges or habitats supporting protected species. The frequency of the monitoring schedule depends on the habitat type and risks identified. ACP designs each HMMP to include appropriate reporting cadence and realistic costs, ensuring evidence is collected often enough to satisfy compliance while remaining practical for land managers.
What happens if monitoring shows habitats are failing?
No project runs perfectly for 30 years. That’s why HMMPs include a clear adaptive management framework. If monitoring shows habitats are underperforming for example, meadows not establishing, woodland losing structure, or ponds silting up the HMMP specifies corrective measures. These may include reseeding, altering grazing intensity, supplementary planting, invasive species control, or redesigning drainage. In some cases, creating habitat connectivity through hedgerow planting or buffer zones may also be required. Having these triggers set out in advance reassures planners that biodiversity gains will be safeguarded long term.
Who is responsible for implementing the HMMP?
Implementation is usually the responsibility of the landowner or managing body (such as a management company, housing association, or estate team). Ecological consultants may be retained to provide specialist monitoring and prepare reports. The HMMP sets out roles and responsibilities clearly so there is no ambiguity. Accountability is legally secured through Section 106 agreements or conservation covenants, ensuring that the management objectives, monitoring techniques, and reporting cadence are delivered consistently throughout the 30-year management period.
Is there a standard HMMP template?
Yes. Natural England has published a recognised HMMP template, which provides a standard structure for habitat management and monitoring plans. ACP completes this template in full, ensuring your submission matches official expectations. Alongside the template, we also prepare a detailed narrative report that explains context, references best practice in conservation ecology, and provides habitat management and monitoring plan examples for clarity. This dual approach gives planning officers confidence that the HMMP is both technically sound and practically usable.
Government Guidance and Statutory References
- Understanding biodiversity net gain. Guidance on what BNG is and how it affects land managers, developers and local planning authorities. Defra.
- Statutory framework & planning condition – Biodiversity Net Gain under Schedule 7A of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; statutory regime explained in Planning Practice Guidance (GOV.UK).
- Biodiversity Gain Plan – Must be approved before commencement; Local Planning Authority decision normally within 8 weeks. See Biodiversity Net Gain Guidance (GOV.UK).
- Statutory biodiversity metric – How units are calculated, modules, factors, and guidance on early use. Statutory Metric and User Guide (GOV.UK).
- Condition Sheets & Small Sites Metric (SSM) – Official metric tools and guidance sheets. BNG Metric Tools (GOV.UK).
- Exemptions & de minimis thresholds – Householder, small self-build, and very small impacts where no priority habitat is affected. Exemptions Guidance (GOV.UK) and Defra Environment Blog.
- Off-site register & fee – Natural England guidance on registering biodiversity gain sites, with the current £639 registration fee. Register a Biodiversity Gain Site (GOV.UK).
- NSIPs timing – Government proposals indicate that BNG will apply to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) from May 2026, pending final regulations. Defra Consultation (GOV.UK).
- Creating a Habitat Management & Monitoring Plan (HMMP) – GOV.UK guidance on how to prepare HMMPs, including monitoring and reporting requirements. HMMP Guidance (GOV.UK).
- Natural England HMMP Template (JP058) – Official template, checklist, and monitoring report tools for Habitat Management & Monitoring Plans. Natural England Publications.
- Statutory Biodiversity Metric User Guide (July 2025) – Full guidance on how the statutory metric should be applied, including trading rules and worked examples. User Guide PDF.
- Metric Supporting Documents (JP039) – Includes GIS templates, data standards, and case studies for applying the statutory metric. Natural England Publications.
- Statutory Biodiversity metric user guide.
- Small Site Matric Guidance.
Other Supporting References (Quick Links)
- BNG in Practice Report (2025) – Case studies showing how BNG is being delivered in real projects. Institute of Environmental Sciences.
- Biodiversity Net Gain – Principles and Guidance for UK Construction and Developments. Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.
- BNG Research Briefing – This post note outlines the mandatory biodiversity net gain policy introduced in England in 2024 and the risks and challenges for delivering its objectives. UK Parliament.
- Biodiversity net gain: where to start. Natural England.
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Next Steps
- Send us your drawings and biodiversity gain plan – we’ll review your baseline, commitments and metric outputs.
- Receive a fixed-fee proposal – tailored to your site, scale and local planning authority requirements.
- Draft HMMP prepared in 5–10 working days – including the Natural England HMMP template, 30-year management schedule and monitoring framework.
- Submission support – we package the HMMP for smooth validation and condition discharge.
- Optional long-term support – ACP can also provide ongoing environmental monitoring and reporting if required.
Explore Related Biodiversity Net Gain Resources
A Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) is essential for maintaining the ecological gains secured through Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). To see how it fits within the wider process, start with the Biodiversity Net Gain Overview and BNG Assessment Guide, which explain how habitat condition data informs long-term management targets.
Learn how your plan links directly to the Biodiversity Gain Plan (BGP), using outputs from the Statutory Biodiversity Metric 4.0 or Small Sites Metric (SSM). These tools quantify the habitats your HMMP will maintain and monitor through its delivery period.
For cost and implementation guidance, use the BNG Monitoring Fee Calculator and refer to our BNG Costs & Pricing for budgeting. You can also download standard formats from our BNG Templates & Downloads, check the latest policy in BNG Legislation & Guidance, and see successful examples of management plans in our BNG Case Studies & Portfolio.
You can also drop us an email at hello@acp-consultants.com and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours to help with your inquiry!
- Last Updated:
- November 2025
Disclaimer: Our content is prepared by ACP Consultants’ in-house specialists and is based on current guidance, standards, and best practice in environmental consultancy. While we make every effort to keep information accurate and up to date, it is provided for general guidance only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice on specific projects. Planning authorities retain final decision-making powers, and requirements may vary between local authorities and over time. ACP Consultants accepts no liability for any loss arising from reliance on this content without obtaining tailored advice for your project.