Gloucestershire BNG advice
Biodiversity Net Gain in Gloucestershire
Plan your Gloucestershire development around local habitat evidence, council policies and nature recovery opportunities.
ACP Consultants can help with habitat surveys, biodiversity metric calculations and a practical BNG delivery plan for your Gloucestershire site.
Local planning guidance
Is Biodiversity Net Gain required in Gloucestershire?
For development subject to mandatory BNG, the normal national objective is at least 10% biodiversity gain. The legislation applies across Gloucestershire, but exemptions and transitional arrangements can change what a particular project must do.
The rules changed on 6 August 2026. From that date, a qualifying application for development on a red-line site of 0.2 hectares or less can be exempt where no onsite priority habitat is affected. Certain wholly temporary developments lasting no more than five years can also qualify. The earlier separate self-build and custom-build exemption was removed for new applications made from that date.
These are conditional legal exemptions, not a blanket waiver for every small building or single dwelling. Check the entire red-line area, application date, habitat effects and any section 73 history.
Even where mandatory BNG does not apply, planning policies and other legislation can require ecological evidence. Examples include bats, ancient woodland, watercourse impacts and protected-site mitigation.
Read the BNG exemptions and thresholds guide or the current government BNG planning guidance for the statutory route.
Local planning guidance
Which Gloucestershire council deals with your application?
Gloucestershire has six district, borough and city local planning authorities. They generally decide ordinary residential and commercial applications. Gloucestershire County Council handles minerals, waste and certain county development, rather than every housing scheme.
| Planning authority | Current adopted development plan | Important 2026 update |
|---|---|---|
| Cheltenham Borough Council | Gloucester–Cheltenham–Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy (JCS), adopted December 2017, plus Cheltenham Plan adopted 20 July 2020, and relevant saved 2006 policies. | The replacement Strategic and Local Plan (SLP) for the three councils remains in preparation. A revised October 2026 timetable envisages further consultation by December and submission by March 2027. |
| Cotswold District Council | Cotswold District Local Plan 2011–2031, adopted 3 August 2018. Relevant ecology policies include EN7 trees/hedgerows and EN8–EN9 biodiversity/designated sites. | The proposed Local Plan 2026–2043 Regulation 19 consultation closed 3 November 2026. The replacement is not adopted. |
| Forest of Dean District Council | Core Strategy adopted 2012, together with its Allocations Plan adopted June 2018 and relevant other operative policies. | The draft Local Plan 2025–2045 was withdrawn on 30 June 2026. A new local-plan process started 6 July 2026, with possible adoption in 2029; this is not an adopted 2026 replacement. |
| Gloucester City Council | JCS adopted December 2017 plus Gloucester City Plan adopted 26 January 2023, with limited saved historic policies. | The emerging joint SLP with Cheltenham and Tewkesbury remains under preparation; it has not displaced the City Plan. |
| Stroud District Council | Stroud District Local Plan adopted 19 November 2015, including ES6 Providing for Biodiversity and Geodiversity. | Its replacement Local Plan remains at examination. A dedicated transport hearing took place 20 October 2026. Do not confuse an examination hearing with adoption. |
| Tewkesbury Borough Council | JCS adopted December 2017 plus Tewkesbury Borough Plan adopted 8 June 2022. | Same emerging three-authority SLP. Tewkesbury's published application process includes a local BNG Statement and validation checklist. |
| Gloucestershire County Council | Minerals Local Plan adopted March 2020 and Waste Core Strategy adopted November 2012, with relevant saved waste policies. | A replacement Minerals and Waste Local Plan is being prepared under the 2026–2029 timetable. It is relevant to county applications, not a substitute for six districts' plans. |
Boundary note: South Gloucestershire Council is a separate unitary planning authority, outside Gloucestershire County Council's six-district area. It uses the West of England LNRS, not Gloucestershire's LNRS. A Bristol or South Gloucestershire postal/geographic reference must not be treated as Gloucestershire district planning.
National Landscape note: The Cotswolds and Wye Valley National Landscapes are important planning designations, not separate National Park planning authorities. Use the actual district's policies and landscape guidance.
Local planning guidance
Why do Cheltenham, Gloucester and Tewkesbury share planning policies?
These three councils adopted the Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury Joint Core Strategy (JCS) in December 2017. It provides their shared strategic development framework, while each council also operates its own adopted local planning documents and validation process.
For biodiversity and design, the adopted JCS includes Policy SD9 Biodiversity and Geodiversity. Other relevant provisions cover landscape character, green infrastructure and safeguarding natural environmental assets.
The JCS is being reviewed through a new Strategic and Local Plan (SLP). In an official update on 26 October 2026, the three councils said the government had revised their submission deadline to 31 March 2027, provided the final consultation finishes by 31 December 2026.
That is a timetable and emerging plan, not a newly adopted SLP. Therefore, applications on 7 November 2026 still require the relevant adopted JCS, the applicable local plan, national BNG law and any material site-specific policies.
Read the official Gloucester City adopted development plan and the joint SLP timetable announcement.
Local planning guidance
What do Cotswold, Forest of Dean and Stroud require?
Cotswold: adopted EN8 and current validation evidence
The 2018 adopted Cotswold Local Plan includes EN7 Trees, Hedgerows and Woodlands, EN8 Biodiversity and Geodiversity: Features, Habitats and Species, and EN9 Biodiversity and Geodiversity: Designated Sites.
The council states that it does not currently require BNG above the national 10% minimum. An earlier discussion of possible 20% requirements was not adopted.
The council consulted on its proposed Local Plan 24 August–3 November 2026, but that replacement is still emerging. Its 2026 validation guidance also contains a biodiversity self-assessment and BNG Statement where relevant.
Forest of Dean: do not use the withdrawn 2025–2045 draft
The Forest of Dean's proposed Local Plan 2025–2045 was formally withdrawn in June 2026. The adopted Core Strategy and 2018 Allocations Plan continue to provide the operative framework.
The district began preparing a different new plan in July 2026. Its timetable suggests possible adoption in autumn 2029, not now. Avoid quoting environmental policies from the withdrawn draft as present local obligations.
Stroud: 2015 plan remains in place during examination
The 2015 adopted Stroud Local Plan includes ES6 Providing for Biodiversity and Geodiversity, supporting protection and enhancement of biodiversity features.
Stroud's replacement Local Plan remains at examination. The October 2026 transport hearing is part of an ongoing process, not proof that its draft allocations or higher targets have been adopted.
Can a local authority require more than 10%?
The 29 September 2026 National Planning Policy Framework, policies N1(2) and N2(3), restricts higher mandatory local BNG standards. It supports requirements above the statutory minimum for specific justified, deliverable site allocations, and directs decision-makers not to give weight to other higher-than-statutory policies.
Accordingly, no blanket Gloucestershire-wide 20% requirement is established. Even when ecology policies expect improvements, determine the actual statutory BNG position and adopted plan before stating a numerical target.
Local planning guidance
What is Gloucestershire's published Local Nature Recovery Strategy?
Gloucestershire County Council published its Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) on 13 February 2026, following Cabinet approval on 28 January.
The strategy provides 113 suggested nature-recovery measures. It identifies habitats and species that need support, places where action can make a difference, and landscape connections worth restoring.
Gloucestershire's LNRS has three main elements: a review of current biodiversity and opportunities, a statement of priorities and potential measures, and an interactive Local Habitat Map.
The Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership explains that 43 of the 113 potential measures are mapped within statutory Areas that Could Become Important for Biodiversity.
Examples include meadow restoration, hedgerow networks, woodland management, traditional orchard renewal, natural flood management, river recovery and support for threatened species.
This is valuable evidence for early design, but it does not create a blanket development prohibition or determine biodiversity units automatically.
Explore the official Gloucestershire LNRS and Local Habitat Map.
Local planning guidance
Can a Gloucestershire LNRS opportunity produce more biodiversity units?
The current statutory biodiversity metric includes strategic significance. This is separate from habitat type, size and condition.
Gloucestershire's Local Habitat Map distinguishes Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity (APIB), Areas that Could Become Important for Biodiversity (ACIB) and additional potential measures.
| Published LNRS layer | Meaning | Appropriate BNG use |
|---|---|---|
| APIB | Existing designated wildlife sites and irreplaceable habitats | Review ecological constraints and protections. Do not assume units can compensate for harm to protected habitats. |
| ACIB with a mapped potential measure | Strategic locations for specific habitat restoration or creation | Check that the proposed intervention matches the mapped measure and current metric rules before claiming High strategic significance. |
| Other Potential Measures | Helpful non-statutory suggestions, including some unmapped actions | Use for habitat design where appropriate. They do not automatically grant a High strategic significance score. |
| Outside ACIB | Land beyond mapped strategic recovery measures | Nature recovery may still be useful, but there is no automatic ACIB-based metric benefit. |
A mapped ACIB is not itself a guarantee of a 15% uplift. An ecologist must check the current statutory metric, the actual habitat parcel and the specific intervention.
The county's published developer guide and mapping notes are useful alongside the field survey. Moreover, maps can have limitations, so verify habitat, soil and hydrology onsite before committing to a restoration scheme.
The council expressly allows habitat-bank proposals outside mapped ACIB areas to be considered by the relevant planning authority. Avoid claiming they are prohibited.
Local planning guidance
What habitats are especially important for Gloucestershire BNG?
Cotswold limestone grassland and beech woodland
The Cotswolds support calcareous grassland, ancient beech woodland, veteran trees and traditional field boundaries. Retaining high-value existing habitats may matter more than creating generic new planting.
Forest of Dean and Lower Wye woodland networks
The Forest of Dean and Wye Valley contain extensive woodlands, old trees, river valleys and bat habitat. Woodland and hedgerow networks can be especially important for habitat connectivity and protected species.
Severn Estuary and floodplain habitats
The Severn Estuary is protected through SAC, SPA and Ramsar designations. Its saltmarsh, mudflat, intertidal habitats and waterbird populations require careful consideration where a proposal could affect them.
The wider River Severn, Avon and tributary systems also contain floodplains, wetland grassland, ponds and corridors that may support locally valuable habitat work.
Traditional orchards, meadows and hedgerows
Traditional orchards, lowland meadows, hedgerows and species-rich field margins can be priority habitats. A new site design should survey and retain valuable features before allocating new biodiversity units.
Species and separate surveys
Bats, breeding birds, dormice, badgers, great crested newts and white-clawed crayfish may require separate survey, licensing or avoidance measures. The habitat metric alone does not demonstrate species absence or protect a roost.
Where a development affects streams, ditches or rivers, consider a separate river condition assessment and the relevant metric module.
Early design rule: Avoid adverse ecological effects, establish a reliable habitat baseline and then use the LNRS to choose realistic improvements.
Local planning guidance
Which protected sites need separate planning assessment?
A statutory 10% BNG gain does not remove obligations under the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations. Gloucestershire contains internationally protected sites with distinct pressures.
| Protected area / pathway | Why it can matter | Planning distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Cotswold Beechwoods SAC | New residential or visitor-generating development within the relevant recreation catchment may increase visitor pressure. | Several councils use a 15.4 km zone of influence and an adopted Recreation Mitigation Strategy. Check actual proposal, map, SAMM/SANG arrangements and current contribution. |
| Rodborough Common SAC | Visitor pressure from certain new housing around Stroud can affect the internationally protected grassland. | Stroud's adopted 2022 mitigation strategy uses a 3.9 km zone of influence and separate Habitats Regulations obligations. |
| North Meadow and Clattinger Farm SAC | Sensitive lowland hay meadow habitats may be affected by certain location-specific projects. | Cotswold District Council provides specific Habitats Regulations guidance and current mitigation-fee information. |
| Severn Estuary SAC/SPA/Ramsar | Intertidal habitats, birds, water quality and hydrological pathways can be material. | Assess relevant likely significant effects under the Habitats Regulations. BNG is not a shortcut to avoiding that assessment. |
| Wye Valley woodlands and other designated sites | Protected woodland, watercourses and species may require avoidance and mitigation. | Determine actual designated-site pathways with the relevant council and ecological adviser. |
The applicable zone, fee or mitigation approach depends on the site, development type and current council guidance. Do not assume every Gloucestershire development owes the same protected-site payment.
Use the Cotswold Beechwoods mitigation guidance and Stroud's Rodborough Common SAC guidance where relevant.
Local planning guidance
Gloucestershire BNG: seven checks before you commission the assessment
Use these seven checks to organise your site information and prepare a proportionate ecological brief.
| Check | What to record | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Confirm the LPA | Red-line boundary, one of six districts, county minerals/waste function, or separate South Gloucestershire | The applicable adopted plan and current local validation list. |
| 2. Check the national exemption | Application date, entire site hectares, affected priority habitat, major/nonmajor status and section 73 history | Whether the conditional August 2026 exemption and gain hierarchy apply. |
| 3. Map existing habitats | UKHab plan, habitat condition, hedges, trees, streams and photos | A defensible baseline and relevant metric modules. |
| 4. Identify legal constraints | Cotswold Beechwoods, Rodborough Common, Severn Estuary, other sites and protected species | Any separate Habitats Regulations or ecological survey duties. |
| 5. Check the Gloucestershire LNRS | Current ACIB mapped measure, proposed habitat action, location and soil/hydrology | Whether strategic significance can be justified without an automatic uplift. |
| 6. Identify feasible gain delivery | Onsite enhancement, registered offsite alternatives, unit trading, legal allocation | A realistic biodiversity delivery strategy. |
| 7. Plan 30-year stewardship where needed | Responsible land manager, funding, legal security, monitoring dates and timetable | Appropriate gain-plan and HMMP information. |
Decision: If the authority, existing priority habitat, protected-site pathway or mapped potential measure is unclear, gather the evidence before submitting a metric or fixing a habitat gain.
Local planning guidance
What BNG information is required for a Gloucestershire planning application?
For non-exempt development, the national information submitted with the planning application normally includes:
- A statement on whether the applicant believes the statutory BNG condition applies.
- The pre-development biodiversity value and completed metric, identifying its version or publication date.
- Any earlier baseline date with reasons, where relevant.
- Details of habitat degradation and supporting calculations, where applicable.
- A description of irreplaceable onsite habitat.
- A scaled onsite habitat plan showing north and suitable habitat classifications.
A local planning authority may request additional necessary, material and proportionate information through its published validation checklist.
Gloucestershire councils do not use one identical checklist
Cotswold District Council publishes a July 2026 application validation checklist, biodiversity self-assessment guidance and a BNG Statement form where applicable. Check its relevant application type.
Tewkesbury Borough Council publishes a January 2025 local validation list and a separate BNG Statement form. National 2026 exemptions and later guidance must be applied alongside that list.
Gloucester City Council provides BNG guidance alongside its local validation requirements. Use the current national exemption rules and the published LNRS when preparing your evidence.
Gloucestershire County Council provides a separate validation list for minerals, waste and certain county developments. Match the information to the application type and statutory BNG position.
For a real application, confirm its category, exact local list, current habitat survey, relevant protected-site evidence and any further requirements with the actual decision-maker.
Read the Cotswold application supporting-information guidance and Tewkesbury BNG application guidance.
Local planning guidance
When is the Biodiversity Gain Plan approved?
For a permission subject to the statutory biodiversity gain condition, the final Biodiversity Gain Plan is normally approved after planning permission, but before development starts.
The original application contains the minimum national BNG information and any justified additional local evidence. A council may reasonably ask for draft habitat delivery or management information earlier; that does not change the national timing of the final plan.
For significant onsite or registered offsite gains, the plan will usually need a suitable Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP) and legal security. Required gains are generally maintained for at least 30 years.
Start habitat management planning before the design is fixed. A proposed meadow or woodland must have realistic soil conditions, establishment methods, funding, monitoring and ongoing stewardship.
For details, see our Biodiversity Gain Plan guidance and Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan service.
Local planning guidance
Which biodiversity metric should you use in November 2026?
The statutory biodiversity metric calculates habitat value before and after development using habitat type, size or length, condition, strategic significance and delivery risks.
As at 7 November 2026, the latest government statutory metric calculation workbook is version 1.1.0, updated on 3 November 2026.
GOV.UK also confirms that any published statutory metric tool version can be used, where appropriate. It would therefore be inaccurate to claim only 1.1.0 is legally valid. However, pre-statutory tools such as Biodiversity Metric 4.0 are not accepted for current mandatory statutory calculations.
An eligible smaller development may use the Small Sites Metric where its specific criteria are met. Do not assume this automatically applies to every scheme below a building-size threshold.
A professional assessment should test habitat trading, condition, mapped Gloucestershire LNRS measures and spatial risk. Watercourse or hedgerow units must be treated using the correct metric modules.
Explore our statutory biodiversity metric assessment service and Small Sites Metric assessments.
Local planning guidance
Can a Gloucestershire development buy off-site biodiversity units?
Yes, where eligible registered units meet habitat trading, legal allocation and spatial-risk rules. First establish the actual on-site habitat impacts and relevant gain hierarchy.
For major development, the hierarchy continues to give priority to suitable onsite gains before registered offsite units. For eligible non-major applications made from 6 August 2026, onsite and registered offsite options can be considered at the same hierarchy level. Statutory biodiversity credits remain the last option.
Significant onsite and registered offsite gains normally need a legal agreement, management and monitoring for at least 30 years.
Gloucestershire Nature + Climate Fund
The Gloucestershire Nature + Climate Fund (GNCF) is a local, not-for-profit offsite biodiversity-unit broker connected with the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership. It lists proposed and operational habitat restoration schemes in the Cotswolds, Stroud, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham, Gloucester and Forest of Dean areas.
GNCF's public website describes a north Cotswold habitat gain project launched on 16 April 2026. This demonstrates a local market developing around county nature-recovery priorities.
However, a supplier's map or advertised unit count is not independent proof of units currently registered, available or allocated to your development. Check the government's biodiversity gain sites register and the specific legal agreement before purchase.
See GNCF's Gloucestershire unit information and our offsite biodiversity units guide.
Local planning guidance
What costs should a Gloucestershire BNG project allow for?
A project may have several distinct ecology and planning cost categories.
| Potential cost | What it relates to | Why it must be distinguished |
|---|---|---|
| Habitat survey and metric | Ecological site investigation, UKHab mapping, condition and unit calculations | Not a council tariff or guaranteed unit cost. |
| Biodiversity Gain Plan and HMMP | Habitat design, long-term delivery and monitoring documents | Can be needed at different planning stages. |
| Registered offsite units | Legally secured and allocated biodiversity units from an eligible gain site | Current availability, habitat type, price and spatial risk are project specific. |
| Local authority BNG monitoring | Council review of qualifying significant habitat gains | Cotswold publishes 2026/27 monitoring guidance, but it is not a universal county or consultant fee. |
| Cotswold Beechwoods / Rodborough Common SAC mitigation | Habitats Regulations recreation mitigation where applicable | A separate legal contribution, not biodiversity units and not owed by every project. |
Cotswold's published 2026/27 guidance refers to its monitoring-fee arrangements, while Stroud's 2022 Rodborough Common mitigation strategy includes a historic per-dwelling contribution subject to indexation. Do not use an old amount as a current quotation.
Early site scoping helps distinguish the likely evidence, BNG delivery and separate protected-site costs. For broader budgeting, see our BNG costs and pricing guide.
Local planning guidance
What do Gloucestershire councils' own records show?
The following are public council or local partnership records, not claims about ACP delivering the projects or achieving long-term habitat outcomes.
Cotswold District: 24 approved Biodiversity Gain Plans
Cotswold District Council's January 2026 Biodiversity Duty Report records 24 approved Biodiversity Gain Plans between October 2024 and November 2025.
The council reported planned gains of 12.91 habitat units, 0.04 watercourse units and 2.65 hedgerow units across those approved plans. It also identified two section 106 agreements securing significant onsite gains.
These are council-reported approved or projected figures. They do not demonstrate that all habitat outcomes have already been achieved or that units are available for sale.
Cheltenham Borough: seven approved gain plans
Cheltenham's 2026 Biodiversity Report recorded seven approved gain plans from October 2024 to November 2025. The council described 1.09 habitat units and 0.56 hedgerow units, with no additional watercourse units in that report. Six approvals were associated with section 106 agreements.
Again, this is evidence of planning and legal delivery processes, not a measured 30-year habitat outcome.
North Cotswold local habitat project
GNCF announced the launch of a north Cotswold habitat restoration project in April 2026, described as its first Gloucestershire project funded through BNG payments. This is a supplier-reported project and should not be represented as ACP work or independent confirmation of current unit stock.
For the original records see Cotswold's Biodiversity Duty page, Cheltenham's Biodiversity Report and GNCF's April announcement.
Local planning guidance
How ACP can help with BNG in Gloucestershire
Step 1 — Confirm the planning route. Send us the site location, red-line boundary, proposed works and expected application date. We identify the council, initial BNG position and relevant ecological constraints.
Step 2 — Establish the habitat evidence. We scope the appropriate UKHab survey, condition assessment, metric and any protected-species or watercourse work. We also review Gloucestershire LNRS mapped measures where relevant.
Step 3 — Plan deliverable gains. We advise on habitat retention, realistic onsite enhancement, any registered offsite shortfall and management requirements for the appropriate planning stage.
Early advice can help avoid unsupported metric assumptions, missed survey seasons and difficult habitat commitments. However, the planning authority remains the decision-maker, and no consultant can guarantee planning permission or available units.
Local planning guidance
Gloucestershire Biodiversity Net Gain FAQs
Is 10% Biodiversity Net Gain mandatory throughout Gloucestershire?
Mandatory 10% BNG normally applies to qualifying planning applications across England, including Gloucestershire. However, exemptions and application-date transitions matter. Separate local ecological protections can remain relevant even when statutory BNG does not apply.
Which council determines a development in Gloucestershire?
Ordinary housing and commercial proposals usually go to one of six district or city councils: Cheltenham, Cotswold, Forest of Dean, Gloucester, Stroud or Tewkesbury. County planning usually covers minerals, waste and certain county projects.
Does South Gloucestershire use the same BNG planning policies?
No. South Gloucestershire is a separate unitary authority. It uses its own development plan and the West of England Local Nature Recovery Strategy, rather than Gloucestershire's county LNRS.
When was Gloucestershire's LNRS published?
Gloucestershire County Council published it on 13 February 2026, after Cabinet approval in January. The strategy includes 113 potential measures, 43 mapped as strategic recovery measures in Areas that Could Become Important for Biodiversity.
Do mapped LNRS opportunities automatically increase the biodiversity metric?
No. Higher strategic significance depends on the actual mapped measure, location and proposed habitat intervention meeting the current statutory metric rules. Additional non-statutory measures and locations outside ACIB can still benefit nature without an automatic High score.
Does Cotswold District require 20% BNG?
Cotswold Council states it currently does not require a general BNG percentage higher than the national 10% minimum. Its replacement Local Plan Regulation 19 consultation closed in November 2026, but that plan was not adopted on this research date.
Has Forest of Dean adopted its replacement Local Plan?
No. The proposed 2025–2045 Forest of Dean plan was withdrawn in June 2026. The district began preparing a new plan in July, while its adopted Core Strategy and Allocations Plan remain relevant.
Are developments of 0.2 hectares or less exempt from BNG?
From 6 August 2026, eligible new applications can be exempt where the full development site is 0.2 hectares or less and no onsite priority habitat is affected. Other conditions, prior permissions and section 73 cases need checking.
Are Rodborough Common and Cotswold Beechwoods payments BNG units?
No. Applicable recreational mitigation under the Habitats Regulations is separate from statutory BNG units. Check the proposal and relevant mitigation zones with the planning authority; a BNG metric gain does not remove SAC protection duties.
Can I buy offsite biodiversity units within Gloucestershire?
Potentially, through eligible registered gain sites. The Gloucestershire Nature + Climate Fund and other operators advertise local schemes, but actual registered status, habitat trading, allocation, spatial risk, quantity and price must be checked for the development.
Which statutory biodiversity metric version should I use?
The latest government statutory metric was v1.1.0 on 7 November 2026. GOV.UK permits earlier published statutory versions where appropriate, but pre-statutory Metric 4.0 is not accepted for mandatory calculations. Use the Small Sites Metric only if eligible.
What should I send ACP for a Gloucestershire BNG assessment quotation?
Send the site postcode and red-line plan, development description, drawings, existing ecology reports and planned application date. Include the council if known and tell us about any woodland, meadow, stream or protected-site constraints.
Local planning guidance
Discuss Biodiversity Net Gain for your Gloucestershire development
Tell us where the site is, what development you propose and when you need planning evidence. ACP can help determine a proportionate habitat survey, statutory metric and habitat-delivery scope.
Request a Gloucestershire BNG assessment quotation
Alternative: Contact ACP Consultants.
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
Start with the information you have. We ask for your email, site location and enquiry, with a telephone number at the final step.
We use your details to respond to your enquiry. Read our Privacy Policy.
Gloucestershire BNG
Sources and references
Reviewed 7 November 2026.
Official planning and nature recovery sources
- GOV.UK — Biodiversity Net Gain planning practice guidance
- GOV.UK — Current BNG exemptions
- Statutory biodiversity metric tools and guides
- NPPF September 2026 — natural environment
- Published Gloucestershire LNRS and developer guidance
- Gloucestershire Local Habitat Map
- Cheltenham adopted development plan
- Gloucester City adopted development plan
- Cotswold adopted and emerging Local Plans
- Forest of Dean adopted and withdrawn Local Plan documents
- Stroud adopted Local Plan and examination
- Tewkesbury adopted development plans
- Gloucestershire County Council BNG guidance
- Cotswold Beechwoods SAC mitigation