New digital tool helps developers meet biodiversity requirements

A new digital tool has been launched by Ordnance Survey (OS) to aid developers in meeting new Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements.

OS Enhanced Land Cover (ELC) Beta is a foundational dataset which combines OS topography and land cover information with a range of third-party open habitat data, allowing users to better understand land characteristics at scale and conduct BNG assessments.

Under BNG legislation, which will become mandatory for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from November, developers will be required to assess existing habitats in accordance with Defra’s biodiversity metric, present a biodiversity gain plan, and deliver a 10% increase in biodiversity - either onsite or off-site through credits. Developers will then also be responsible for monitoring and maintaining habitats for 30 years.

Dr Jack Parkin, product manager for the built and natural environment at OS, said that the tool could address the high demand for ecologists which arose from the BNG being introduced alongside the Government’s target to build 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament.

He said: “One of the benefits of OS Enhanced Land Cover is to boost the productivity of those ecologists and to make their time count.

“We aggregate multiple geospatial datasets together to provide a provisional assessment of habitats on the ground which saves ecologists time both in desktop analysis and pre-screening in the field.

“This can shave days, or even weeks, from development times, and with 1.5 million homes in the pipeline, that could really add up.”

The ready-to-use tool combines OS National Geographic Database, OS aerial imagery, and OS Terrain 5 data with information from other bodies, including from Natural England’s Living England, the Rural Payments Agency’s Crop Map of England, and UKHab’s classification system (which is the basis of Defra’s biodiversity metric).

Beyond development planning, the new model can also be used to support nature restoration projects, such as re-wilding, flood risk management, and green corridors.

The tool is available exclusively via Ordnance Survey’s Partner network.