In December, Defra announced a new exemption for sites of 0.2 hectares or below. Building on this, the government response sets out further targeted updates to exemptions, the biodiversity gain hierarchy, and the statutory biodiversity metric. These changes aim to reduce administrative burdens and improve flexibility for minor developments while supporting the continued growth of the BNG market.
These changes will be introduced in phases.
By the end of July 2026, subject to parliamentary scheduling, we expect the government to:
- Introduce the new 0.2ha area-based exemption.
- Remove the existing exemption for small scale self-build and custom-build development.
- Exempt temporary planning permissions granted for a maximum of five years.
- Amend the biodiversity gain hierarchy for minor development so that offsite biodiversity gains are given the same preference as onsite habitat creation or enhancement.