We are supporting King’s Lynn Internal Drainage Board to achieve Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) on the project.
It was essentially a generic construction project, with no requirement for us to achieve BNG during construction of the Pumping Station. However, during construction we decided to go beyond requirements and produce a Biodiversity Metric for the Scheme, enabling us to account for the biodiversity losses associated with the development of the Pumping Station & identify net gain requirements.
We offered to do this for our client free of charge, hopeful that they would embrace it on the Project and take it forward on subsequent projects, thereby creating a ripple effect within the industry and potentially set industry precedents.
Our client welcomed the proposal, stating that this is something they will definitely utilise on future projects.
The Biodiversity Metric Calculation Tool: The Metric enables a means of measuring and accounting for biodiversity losses & gains that are the result of development or land management change. It was developed by Natural England (replacing & updating the original DEFRA Metric) with input from environmental NGOs, developers, land managers, Government Agencies & other interested stakeholders.
The Biodiversity Metric 2.0 encompasses both area (eg grasslands) & linear (eg rivers and streams) habitats. It includes type, condition & area of the habitat & calculates a proxy biodiversity unit, giving us an indication of change in biodiversity in a development. We recognise that nature is complex & diverse & cannot be reduced down to a number so the Calculation Tool enables us to work alongside nature.
To find out more, click the link below.
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