BNG Offset units for sale

If you have destroyed a habitat to create a development, you do not necessarily need to buy units for the exact same habitat type as compensation.

BNG offsetting operates under the general principle of "like for like or better" - where a habitat that is impacted by development must be replaced with either the same habitat or one that is considered to be better. In this case, better means it has a higher "distinctiveness" in the Defra Statutory Metric.

This means that if the habitat you are impacting is "low" distinctiveness - such as cereal cropland or modified grassland - you are allowed to purchase units from almost any other habitat to replace it.

Meanwhile, "high" distinctiveness habitats contain lots of wildlife or are home to specialist or rare wildlife that couldn't survive in a different habitat type. These habitats can only be replaced with the same habitat type if they are affected. This includes wildflower-rich chalk grasslands and most types of native semi-natural woodlands.

As a middle ground between the two, "medium" distinctiveness habitats can be replaced with other medium distinctiveness habitats in the same broad habitat type, or with a higher distinctiveness habitat from a different broad habitat type.

Click the button to download a pdf guide we have made to help you determine how to compensate for losses of the habitats your development has impacted.

If you need a specific habitat type that isn't shown here, get in touch to let us know and we might be able to create a bespoke solution that works for you. Habitat management plans could be adapted to suit client needs, provided projects remain ecologically feasible and aligned with the conservation priorities of the local area.

We are continuously working with new landowners and may also have additional projects in the pipeline which are not yet listed on our website, so prospective enquiries are welcomed.