Local Planning AuthorityServices

We deliver strategic, area-based assessments of local authority assets, supporting effective environmental planning and sustainable development.

Our services include:

• Green and Blue Infrastructure Audits, including the application of the Urban Greening Factor (UGF)
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and Natural Capital Strategies

These services can be fully integrated with BNG Habitat Bank delivery, where we provide support at every stage, including:

• Habitat Bank feasibility and assessment
• Working in partnership with Local Planning Authorities
• Full setup and implementation of Habitat Banks
• Marketing and sale of biodiversity units

ABEC is formally registored by DEFRA as a Responsible Body, enabling us to support the long-term delivery and security of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG).

Our service include:

• Holding and enforcing conservation covenants
• Securing long-term delivery of off-site BNG units
• Ongoing monitoring and compliance management
• Ensuring legal enforceability over the required 30-year period

We provide assurance that BNG commitments are protected, maintained, and compliant, giving confidence to Local Planning Authorities, developers, and landowners.

ABEC’s in-house Additional Ecosystem Services identifies sites with multifunctional potential, enabling Local Authorities maximise environmental and social value.

We assess and categorise sites based on priority indices such as health, air quality, and access to nature, helping to target opportunities where they deliver the greatest benefit.

Our Assessment Covers:

• Natural Flood Management - Identification of opportunities using Environment Agency Flood Zones 2 & 3
• Air Quality Improvement - Analysis using DEFRA modelled background pollution data (PM2.5 and NO2) and Air Quality Management Areas (AQMA)
• Noise Pollution - Assessment using OS Open Roads data as a proxy for transport-related noise impacts
• Access to Green & Blue Space - Evaluation using Accessible Natural Greenspace Standards (ANGSt), Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), and LSOA datasets to identify inequalities in access to nature
• Habitat for Pollinators - Identification of opportunities aligned with Buglife B-Lines to support pollinator networks

We provide a Protected Species Feasibility Assessment to evaluate whether a site has the potential to function as a receptor site for protected species, in line with current best practice guidance.

This assessment focuses on identifying habitats that could support protected species in the future. It considers:

• Habitat suitability and quality for target species,
• Connectivity to surrounding habitats and potential for species movement
• Features that could support species establishment and long-term survival

The assessment determines whether the site could potentially be used as a receptor site and provides clear guidance on whether further, detailed surveys are needed to confirm species presence or absence.

Where a site is identified as having receptor site potential:

• Additional presence/absence surveys may be required for the relevant species

This feasibility assessment represents the initial stage only. Further presence/ likely absence surveys are not included but can be done later, such as in response to a development opportunity, under a separate contract with the developer.