BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN DELIVERY
Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP)
A Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan sets out how biodiversity gains will be established, managed, monitored and reviewed over the long term.
ACP Consultants prepares practical HMMPs for Biodiversity Net Gain projects, including significant on-site habitat enhancements and off-site biodiversity gains. We translate agreed habitat objectives into clear management actions, monitoring requirements and review measures that support planning and long-term delivery.
What is a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan?
A Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) explains how biodiversity gains will be created or enhanced, managed, monitored and reviewed over the long term.
For Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), an HMMP is particularly relevant to significant on-site habitat enhancements and off-site biodiversity gains. It connects habitat objectives with management actions, responsibilities, monitoring methods and review arrangements.
A well-prepared HMMP should do more than describe the proposed habitat. It should explain how to establish the habitat, maintain its condition and check progress. Importantly, it should also identify what happens if monitoring shows that the expected outcomes are not being achieved.
How does an HMMP relate to a Biodiversity Gain Plan?
The two documents have different but connected roles.
A Biodiversity Gain Plan explains how a development will achieve its required Biodiversity Net Gain. It brings together the proposed biodiversity outcomes and supporting evidence.
By contrast, the HMMP explains how the relevant habitats will be established, managed, monitored and maintained.
| Document | Main purpose |
|---|---|
Biodiversity Gain Plan | Explains and evidences how the required biodiversity gain will be delivered |
Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan | Describes the practical management, monitoring, reporting and review arrangements for relevant habitats |
ACP can prepare the HMMP alongside the Biodiversity Gain Plan. This helps align the proposed habitats, metric calculations and long-term management commitments.
When is an HMMP needed?
An HMMP is particularly relevant when a project relies on significant on-site habitat enhancements or off-site biodiversity gains.
However, not every development subject to BNG requires the same level of habitat-management documentation. The appropriate approach depends on the habitat proposals, planning route and any conditions or legal agreements.
Significant on-site habitat enhancements
Where a development delivers significant on-site enhancements, the HMMP should explain how those habitats will be maintained and monitored.
For developments requiring planning permission, government guidance says the HMMP should accompany the Biodiversity Gain Plan. A draft should also accompany the planning application.
Off-site biodiversity gains
Off-site gains require agreed management and monitoring arrangements.
Where a Section 106 planning obligation secures the gains, the HMMP should be agreed with the local planning authority. Where a conservation covenant is used, the responsible body should agree the HMMP.
Non-significant on-site enhancements
The requirements for significant on-site enhancements do not necessarily apply in the same way.
Nevertheless, management information may still be needed to satisfy a planning condition, ecological commitment or other site-specific requirement.
Unsure which route applies?
ACP can review the proposed habitats, statutory metric and planning information before recommending the appropriate HMMP scope.
How are HMMP commitments legally secured?
An HMMP describes how habitats will be managed and monitored. However, the plan itself does not replace the mechanism that secures the biodiversity gain.
For ordinary planning-permission developments, significant on-site gains may be secured through a suitable planning condition or legal agreement. Off-site gains require a legal agreement.
A legal agreement may take the form of a Section 106 planning obligation or a conservation covenant, depending on the circumstances.
The management plan and securing mechanism should therefore work together. One explains how the habitat will be managed; the other establishes the relevant long-term obligations.
For more detail, see our guide to conservation covenants and Section 106 agreements.
Important distinction: An HMMP is an implementation document. It should not be described as a substitute for a planning condition or legal agreement.
What about nationally significant infrastructure projects?
Mandatory BNG is scheduled to apply to qualifying nationally significant infrastructure project applications submitted for development consent on or after 2 November 2026.
Under the published NSIP guidance, a draft HMMP is required alongside the outline Biodiversity Gain Plan where significant on-site enhancements are proposed. Additional requirements apply to later submissions, reviewers and changes to habitat commitments.
The project-specific biodiversity gain statement and current government guidance should determine the required submission route.
What should an HMMP include?
A practical HMMP should connect four essential activities.
1. Habitat management
The plan should identify the actions needed to create, enhance and maintain each relevant habitat. It should also describe the timing, responsible parties and any site constraints.
2. Habitat monitoring
Monitoring should measure progress against the agreed habitat objectives. Therefore, the plan needs suitable methods, indicators, survey timings and evidence requirements.
3. Reporting
The HMMP should explain how to record findings, present monitoring results and submit reports to the relevant reviewing organisation.
4. Review and adaptive management
Habitat establishment does not always follow the expected trajectory. Consequently, the HMMP should include a process for investigating poor progress and adjusting management where necessary.
The key principle: Management actions, measurable habitat objectives, monitoring evidence and corrective measures should form one coherent delivery framework.
From BNG commitments to long-term habitat delivery
ACP's HMMP preparation process follows six connected stages.
Review the BNG evidence. Examine the habitat surveys, metric workbook, proposed plans and relevant planning requirements.
Define habitat objectives. Confirm the habitat types, target conditions and outcomes that the project intends to achieve.
Specify management actions. Set out practical prescriptions, timescales, responsibilities and establishment requirements.
Set the monitoring approach. Choose suitable methods and indicators for assessing progress against the habitat objectives.
Define reporting and review. Establish how results will be recorded, reviewed and communicated to the appropriate organisation.
Build in adaptive management. Identify how the project team should investigate problems and agree corrective measures.
Together, these stages turn the proposed biodiversity gains into a practical management framework.
What information does ACP need to prepare an HMMP?
The required information depends on the project. Common inputs include:
Biodiversity Gain Plan or draft BNG strategy
Completed statutory biodiversity metric workbook
UKHab habitat surveys and condition assessments
Proposed habitat creation and enhancement plans
Landscape drawings and relevant specifications
Planning conditions and approved documents
Habitat parcel references and target conditions
Land ownership and management responsibilities
Available legal-securing information
Relevant site constraints and access arrangements
Do not have everything available?
ACP can review the information already prepared and identify what remains outstanding. An HMMP can then be scoped around the actual project requirements.
Do I have to use the Natural England HMMP template?
Natural England provides an HMMP template and supporting resources. These help applicants organise information about habitat management, monitoring and reporting.
However, government guidance does not require every project to follow the template exactly.
Projects can use their own format where appropriate. Nevertheless, the Natural England checklist provides a useful way to review whether essential information has been covered.
The published toolkit includes:
HMMP template
Habitat companion document
HMMP checklist
Monitoring report templates
Quantitative monitoring summary
Separate Small Sites Metric HMMP resources
The Small Sites Metric template is designed for eligible small-site projects. It should not be treated as a universal substitute for more complex HMMP documentation.
Who should prepare an HMMP?
Government guidance recommends working with an ecologist or another competent professional.
When using the Natural England template, the ecologist should provide the relevant competence statement. Projects involving watercourses may need additional habitat specialisms.
ACP can help determine the appropriate technical inputs before finalising the document.
Official resource: Natural England HMMP template and supporting documents
For wider downloadable resources, see our BNG templates guide.
How does long-term habitat management and monitoring work?
Significant on-site gains and off-site biodiversity gains that are subject to long-term securing requirements must generally be maintained for at least 30 years.
However, the relevant starting point depends on the type of gain and consent route.
For ordinary planning-permission developments, the on-site maintenance period generally begins when development is completed. For off-site gains, it begins when the relevant habitat enhancement works have finished.
For nationally significant infrastructure projects, separate rules apply to the start of the on-site maintenance period.
The legal agreement or relevant securing mechanism should clearly identify the obligations and applicable dates.
The long-term delivery cycle
Habitat establishment: Complete the agreed creation or enhancement works.
Early management: Support establishment through suitable aftercare.
Monitoring: Assess progress against the agreed objectives.
Review: Compare findings with the intended habitat condition.
Adaptation: Adjust management where monitoring identifies problems.
Long-term maintenance: Continue the required activities, evidence collection and reporting.
These stages illustrate the delivery cycle. They do not represent fixed monitoring years.
The actual programme should reflect the habitats, target conditions, ecological risks and agreed monitoring requirements.
Examples of habitat management actions
The following examples illustrate how management and monitoring may differ between habitat types.
They are not universal prescriptions. The final measures must reflect each site's agreed habitat objectives and ecological constraints.
| Habitat | Possible management approach | What monitoring may assess |
|---|---|---|
Species-rich grassland | Appropriate cutting or grazing, with arisings management where needed | Plant composition, vegetation structure and progress towards target condition |
Hedgerows | Establishment care, suitable cutting and gap planting where required | Continuity, species composition and structural development |
Woodland and scrub | Establishment management, structural development and control of undesirable species | Establishment success, habitat structure and agreed condition indicators |
Ponds and wetlands | Suitable vegetation and water-management measures | Water conditions, habitat structure and relevant ecological indicators |
New tree planting | Establishment watering, protection and replacement of failures where required | Tree survival, condition and establishment progress |
Other habitats | Site-specific prescriptions designed around the approved proposals | Relevant indicators identified in the HMMP |
What happens if a habitat is not meeting its target?
A well-designed HMMP should provide a clear process for responding to unexpected habitat conditions.
Worked example: species-rich grassland
Monitoring indicates that an area of newly established grassland is not progressing towards its agreed target condition.
The project team should follow the review process in the HMMP.
Step 1 — Monitor. Survey the grassland using the agreed method and timing.
Step 2 — Compare. Review the findings against the habitat objectives and relevant condition indicators.
Step 3 — Investigate. Identify possible causes, such as establishment problems or an unsuitable management regime.
Step 4 — Adjust. Agree proportionate corrective measures. These could include changes to cutting, grazing or arisings management.
Step 5 — Reassess. Record the intervention and assess the habitat's response at the appropriate follow-up stage.
Step 6 — Review again. Use the evidence to determine whether further changes are needed.
Adaptive management helps the HMMP remain a practical working document throughout the management period.
Worked example: linking one habitat parcel to its HMMP commitments
Each habitat parcel should be traceable from the approved BNG evidence to its management actions and monitoring records.
This illustrative example shows the information chain for a proposed grassland parcel.
Compare outcomes and trigger corrective action where needed
Review → Adjust management → Record and reassess
| Record | Illustrative entry |
|---|---|
Habitat parcel reference | HG-01 |
Habitat objective | Establish the approved grassland habitat type and achieve the target condition specified in the BNG evidence |
Management actions | Apply the agreed establishment and cutting or grazing prescriptions |
Monitoring evidence | Habitat survey findings, condition indicators, mapped observations and repeatable photographs |
Review trigger | Evidence indicates that progress is below the agreed trajectory |
Corrective action | Investigate the cause and agree changes to the management regime |
Follow-up | Record the intervention, monitor the response and update the management record |
Illustrative only: HG-01 is not a real ACP project or a universal habitat specification. Project-specific targets, actions and review triggers must be confirmed from the relevant evidence and agreement.
This approach provides a clear connection between the metric, the HMMP and the records needed during delivery.
Need an HMMP for your planning application or BNG project?
ACP can review your existing habitat information, identify the applicable management requirements and prepare a practical HMMP.
We can also help align the document with the Biodiversity Gain Plan, proposed habitat objectives and available planning information.
What you receive from ACP
The exact deliverables will depend on the agreed scope of appointment.
| Deliverable | Purpose |
|---|---|
Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan | A coordinated, project-specific management document |
Habitat objectives | Clear intended outcomes for the relevant habitats |
Management schedule | The required management actions, timing and responsibilities |
Monitoring framework | The agreed approach for measuring habitat progress |
Reporting arrangements | How monitoring results will be recorded and reported |
Adaptive-management measures | A framework for investigating and responding to underperformance |
Roles and responsibilities | Identification of the parties responsible for delivery and review |
Supporting plans and schedules | Information linking the HMMP to the habitat proposals |
Submission support | Assistance with the relevant approval process, within the agreed scope |
A project-specific document
ACP prepares HMMPs around the habitat types, development proposals and information available for the individual project.
The plan should remain understandable and usable by the people responsible for implementing it.
What we check before issuing your HMMP
Before issuing the document, we review whether:
Habitat objectives are clearly defined.
Management prescriptions are appropriate and practical.
Monitoring methods relate to the habitat objectives.
Responsibilities and relevant parties are identified.
Reporting arrangements are clear.
Adaptive-management procedures are included.
Habitat references align with the supporting BNG evidence.
Long-term management arrangements are workable.
Our aim: The HMMP should function as a practical delivery document, not simply as a planning submission.
Monitoring and reporting after the HMMP is approved
Approval of an HMMP is not the end of the process.
The relevant landowner, developer or appointed management party must implement the agreed activities. Monitoring should then provide evidence of progress and identify where further action is needed.
For a fuller explanation of monitoring methods and reporting, read our BNG Monitoring Framework.
Where you need to understand monitoring-related fees and budget assumptions, explore the BNG Monitoring Fee Calculator.
The calculator provides decision support. It does not replace a project-specific monitoring specification or quotation.
Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan FAQs
What is a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan?
An HMMP is a document that explains how relevant biodiversity habitats will be created or enhanced, managed, monitored and reviewed. It translates habitat commitments into practical actions and responsibilities.
Does every development subject to BNG need an HMMP?
No. The requirements depend on the proposed gains and approval route. HMMPs are particularly relevant to significant on-site enhancements and off-site gains. Other projects may still need management information because of planning conditions or ecological commitments.
When should an HMMP be submitted?
For significant on-site enhancements under the ordinary planning-permission route, government guidance says a draft should accompany the planning application. The HMMP should then accompany the Biodiversity Gain Plan for approval. Other routes have different requirements.
Is the Natural England HMMP template mandatory?
No. Natural England's template is a guidance tool. Projects may use another suitable format, provided they address the relevant requirements. The published checklist is useful when preparing or reviewing a bespoke document.
Does an HMMP replace a Section 106 agreement or conservation covenant?
No. The HMMP explains how habitats will be managed and monitored. A planning condition or legal agreement, as applicable, secures the relevant obligation.
When does the 30-year management period begin?
For ordinary planning-permission developments, on-site maintenance generally begins on completion of the development. For off-site gains, the period begins after the relevant habitat enhancement works are completed. Different rules apply to NSIPs.
How often must habitat monitoring take place?
There is no universal monitoring frequency for every HMMP. The programme should reflect habitat type, target condition, establishment risk and the requirements of the relevant authority or legal agreement.
Who is responsible for implementing the HMMP?
Responsibility depends on the project. The relevant securing arrangements and HMMP should identify who undertakes habitat management, monitoring, reporting and review. This may involve landowners, developers, management companies and appointed specialists.
What happens if habitat condition is below target?
The HMMP should provide a review and corrective-action process. The responsible parties can investigate the cause, adjust management and monitor the habitat's response, in accordance with the agreed arrangements.
Official references and useful guidance
The following authoritative resources provide further information about HMMP preparation and BNG requirements in England.
GOV.UK — Creating a Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan for BNG
Explains when an HMMP is relevant, what it should include and how it connects to long-term habitat management.
Natural England — HMMP Template (JP058)
Provides the main template, companion document, checklist and monitoring resources.
GOV.UK — Enter a Legal Agreement for Biodiversity Net Gain
Explains legal-securing routes, responsibilities and the applicable long-term maintenance periods.
GOV.UK — Biodiversity Gain Plan
Provides official information about the Biodiversity Gain Plan and its supporting requirements.
GOV.UK — BNG Guidance for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects
Explains the separate NSIP requirements and implementation timetable.
Discuss your Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan
Whether you need a new HMMP, an update to an existing plan or advice about your habitat-management obligations, ACP can review the available information.
Tell us about your site, planning stage and proposed habitats. We can then discuss the appropriate next steps.
Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan Enquiry
Tell us where your project has reached and what BNG information is available. Include the site address and planning reference where possible.
We handle enquiry information in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Supporting plans and metric workbooks can also be emailed to hello@acp-consultants.com.
Disclaimer date:
This page provides general information about Habitat Management and Monitoring Plans and Biodiversity Net Gain requirements in England.
Requirements can vary by development type, consent route, planning authority, habitat proposals and legal arrangements. Therefore, project-specific advice should be based on the current proposals and supporting information.
Guidance reviewed against GOV.UK, Defra and Natural England resources current at the review date.