Buying statutory biodiversity credits is a last resort option for developers if they are unable to use on-site or off-site units to deliver biodiversity net gain (BNG). In these circumstances they are able to buy statutory biodiversity credits using a credit sales service, which will be available once BNG becomes mandatory.

A set of indicative prices have been published by Defra to help developers plan ahead. This includes prices for some coastal habitats, a number of which have been identified as having a ‘high distinctiveness’. ‘Distinctiveness’ is defined as a measure based on the type of habitat and its distinguishing features. It measures different ecological factors, such as:

• the rarity of the habitat
• species richness within a habitat

Confirmed prices will be published when biodiversity net gain becomes mandatory. To support developers with calculating how many credits they need, Defra are also working on an addition to the biodiversity metric which will be also become available when BNG becomes mandatory.

To read more click here