When a development site changes hands, its BNG records may arrive as a mixture of reports, drawings, spreadsheets and correspondence. A structured request helps the buyer’s advisers understand what exists, what the documents relate to and which questions still need an answer. It is a records exercise, not a substitute for legal or ecological due diligence.
Ask for the application history
Request the application references, decision documents and relevant correspondence available from the seller. Identify the proposal that each ecological document supports. A report prepared for an earlier layout may remain useful background without representing the development the buyer now plans to acquire.
Ask who prepared the evidence and who can explain missing files. Where the seller relies on an exemption or another particular route, request the supporting record for the responsible advisers to examine rather than assuming the position from a site description.
Keep the evidence set together
Request the editable metric workbook where available, its matching habitat drawing and the associated report. Record filenames, revisions and dates. A PDF summary cannot always answer the same questions as the underlying assessment files.
Separate approved documents from options and working drafts. Include management and monitoring information, relevant agreements and any allocation evidence supplied for specialist review. Do not infer that the team has delivered a habitat commitment simply because it appears on a drawing.
Turn gaps into specific adviser questions
Use a missing-information log with the requested item, why it matters and the person expected to supply it. Ask the ecologist about the relationship between the evidence and the current site or proposal. Ask the legal adviser about the obligations and transfer arrangements within their remit.
Keep commercial, legal and ecological conclusions distinct. This checklist does not determine liability, valuation, exemption eligibility or the acceptability of a proposed acquisition. Its purpose is to give the appointed advisers a traceable information bundle.
Information register
| Record group | Useful question |
|---|---|
| Planning history | Which application and proposal does this support? |
| Assessment files | Which workbook and habitat plan belong together? |
| Management records | Which plan, responsibilities and reports are available? |
| Outstanding items | Who will explain or supply each gap? |
A practical example
Illustrative example: The seller supplies a habitat plan but no corresponding workbook. The buyer records the gap and asks for the matching assessment set. Their advisers can then review the supplied documents against the application history without assuming that an isolated plan is a complete BNG record.
Before the next issue
- Record application references.
- Separate current and superseded files.
- Match workbook and plan revisions.
- Request management and agreement records.
- Assign unanswered questions to the appropriate advisers.
For the relevant specialist scope, see BNG for landowners, BNG report.
Professional context: Government BNG planning guidance, Government HMMP guidance.
To discuss the project information or review scope, contact ACP with the current proposal and the specific question that needs resolving.