Residential development of 1-9 dwellings on a site of <1ha
Where the number of dwellings is not known the site area is <0.5ha
For non-residential, the floorspace to be created is <1000m² or the site area is <1ha
The small sites metric cannot be used on sites where: habitats not available in the small sites metric are present; where priority habitats are in the development site (excluding some hedgerow and arable field margins); where protected species are present; where any off-site interventions are required.
The small sites metric does not necessarily need to be completed by an ecologist, but again, it must be completed by a competent person who “is confident in identifying habitats present on the site before the development and identifying the management requirements for habitats which will be created or enhanced within the landscape design.”
The metric habitat condition assessments provide criteria to allow a standard approach to assessing habitat condition for the metric and these should be provided alongside the metric.
The statutory biodiversity metric tool and user guide can be found online.
The table below outlines the areas that ENPA considers to be of High, Medium or Low strategic significance. This is provided as an interim measure whilst the Local Nature Recovery Strategies are in development, and will be reviewed and updated. The list is not exhaustive and the assessment may be informed by several other strategic documents for specific species or habitats on their route to recovery. The assessment should be supplemented by justification within the comments section of the metric.
| Strategic significance (metric multiplier) | Definition |
|---|
| High – Formally identified in local strategy (x1.15) | This category can only be applied to post development interventions when:
● The location of the habitat parcel has been mapped in the Local Habitat Map as an area where a potential measure has been proposed to help deliver the priorities of that LNRS; and
● The proposed intervention is consistent with the mapped potential measure in the LNRS for the habitat parcel
You should record that you have applied the published LNRS in your gain plan. |
| Medium – Location ecologically desirable but not in local strategy (x1.10) | This category cannot be applied. |
| Low – Area/compensation not in local strategy (x1.0) | Where the definitions for high strategic significance are not met. Even if your project is in an area mapped with a potential measure, if the proposed intervention is not consistent with a potential measure proposed by the LNRS for that location, you should record strategic significance as low. |
BNG must be additional, over-and-above, other mitigation or compensation requirements such as that required for protected species or priority habitats.