Site Opportunities
We are currently promoting the sites as listed below and are working through the required ecology, registration and legal contracts for such with specialists Cura-Terrae, RSK Wilding and Freeths. Further sites will be added to this page as they become available.
Opportunities are available to secure units in the locations listed below in advance of them being listed live on the Natural England Register.
For further information please email : BNG@nplgroup.co.uk
Dunkirk Lane
This Habitat Bank is on the Natural England Register with gain site reference BGS-290626001. The site includes the following for :
58.94 Very High Distinctiveness Lowland Meadow Units
0.14 Medium Distinctiveness Other Neutral Grassland Units
0.73 Medium Distinctiveness Mixed Scrub Units
2.65 High Distinctiveness Lowland Mixed Woodlands Units
4.62 Medium Distinctiveness Rich Native Hedgerow Units
North Cockley
A Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment has been undertaken for this site identifying the opportunity for :
136.93 Lowland Meadow Units
6.47 Hedgerow Units
The Conservation Covenant process is now underway ahead of the site being placed on the Natural England Register late 2026
Cob Kiln Lane
A Biodiversity Net Gain Assessment has been undertaken for this site identifying the opportunity for :
44.22 Lowland Meadow Units
0.30 Wetland Units
0.70 Ditch Units
1.68 Hedgerow Units
The Conservation Covenant process is now underway ahead of the site being placed on the Natural England Register late 2026.
Future Sites
The National Character Areas covered are :
Shropshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire Plain
Somerset Levels Moors
West Cumbria Coastal Plain
About BNG
Since 2024 the UK Government made it mandatory for the majority of developments in England to provide Biodiversity Net Gain.
In the main this is achieved by developers purchasing BNG units from a Habitat Bank provider. NPL Group realised the opportunity to enhance and rewild various sites within the portfolio for this purpose to offer biodiversity enhancement. Biodiversity Net Gain is a planning policy approach requiring developers to enhance biodiversity by at least 10% more than the pre-development baseline This means that after construction, the biodiversity value of a site - calculated using the government’s Biodiversity Metric - must be measurably higher than before development began.
As of February 2024, BNG became mandatory for most planning applications in England under the Environment Act 2021. This applies to both public and private developments, with limited exemptions. Failure to comply with BNG requirements can result in planning permission being withheld or delayed.
How NPL Group Can Help Developers Achieve Off-Site Biodiversity Net Gain
As the UK's planning and environmental regulations evolve, developers face increasing pressure to deliver sustainable outcomes as part of their projects. One of the most significant recent changes is the legal requirement for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) - a policy that ensures new developments leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than before.
NPL Group, the UK’s leading group of privately-owned brownfield regeneration, remediation and land development companies, is uniquely positioned to assist developers in meeting these requirements through off-site biodiversity net gain solutions.
On-Site vs Off-Site Biodiversity Net Gain
Ideally, developers would meet the BNG requirement on-site by integrating green infrastructure such as wildflower meadows, ponds, or woodland areas into their development. However, this is often impractical due to:
- Space constraints, especially in urban settings.
- Conflicting land-use priorities.
- Higher costs and longer timelines for habitat creation and maintenance.
That’s where off-site biodiversity net gain comes into play. Off-site BNG allows developers to deliver habitat improvements on other land, either through purchasing biodiversity units from third-party landowners or acquiring land to undertake BNG themselves.
How NPL Group Supports Off-Site BNG
NPL Group has a long track record of identifying and regenerating underused or contaminated land, often unlocking ecological and economic value in areas others overlook. Within their wider landbank, there exists strategically located underutilised brownfield sites providing a critical resource for delivering off-site BNG.
Here's how NPL Group assists developers:
- Provision of BNG-Eligible Land
NPL owns and manages a porfolio of sites across the UK that can be restored and enhanced specifically for biodiversity gains. These sites are assessed for suitability using Natural England’s Biodiversity Metric, ensuring that the habitats created are compliant and quantifiable. - Habitat Creation and Long-Term Management
Through its in-house remediation and land development expertise, NPL can design, deliver, and maintain biodiverse habitats over the long term - typically 30 years, as required by law. This ensures that the biodiversity units sold to developers are credible, legally secured, and maintainable. - Strategic Offsets for Multiple Projects
For developers with multiple schemes or strategic landholdings, NPL can provide bundled off-site BNG solutions, allowing for cost-efficient planning and consolidated reporting across sites. This is especially valuable for large-scale housing or infrastructure developers. - Legal and Planning Support
Working with ecological consultants and legal teams, NPL helps ensure that the off-site BNG arrangements are secured via conservation covenants or planning obligations (Section 106 agreements), satisfying all local planning authority requirements.
The Benefits of Partnering with NPL Group
By working with NPL Group, developers gain access to a reliable and experienced partner that understands the regulatory landscape and has the operational capabilities to deliver long-term ecological benefits.
Key advantages include:
- Accelerated planning approvals by meeting BNG requirements.
- Cost-effective access to biodiversity units without compromising on-site design.
- Transparent, metric-based biodiversity outcomes backed by expert management.
