Biodiversity offsetting is where conservation activities deliver biodiversity benefits in compensation for biodiversity loss, in a measurable way. It has the potential to deliver effective, widespread biodiversity gain for the natural environment in a way which is easy to use for developers. A defined methodology is used to calculate how many ‘biodiversity units’ need to be paid by a development to offset their biodiversity loss. Offset providers then offer for sale conservation projects that deliver biodiversity units which a developer can buy.
The Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull sub-region was chosen as one of the 2012 to 2014 six national pilot areas to trial biodiversity offsetting. Following the success of this pilot all the Local Planning Authorities within the sub-region agreed to continue with offsetting on all minor and major applications.
A biodiversity impact assessment calculator in excel format has been designed to help measure the habitat value gain or loss of a development plus a guidance document on how to complete it.
- Biodiversity impact assessment calculator (XLS, 1.1 MB)
- Guidance document for the biodiversity impact assessment calculator (PDF, 1.0 MB)
Other supporting information includes:
- evidence papers supporting the guidance document (PDF, 518KB)
- biodiversity offsetting management plan guidance (PDF, 158KB)
Developers in pilot areas required to provide compensation for biodiversity loss under planning policy can choose to do so through biodiversity offsetting.
The Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull sub-region has some great wildlife areas, but these are often quite fragmented. Biodiversity offsetting provides opportunities for joining up these areas and enhancing the overall biodiversity of the region’s natural environment.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has produced guidance for the pilot areas on how a biodiversity offsetting scheme could operate. The Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull Biodiversity Offsetting Pilot has adopted these guidelines and modified them into a local biodiversity offsetting strategy to suit our sub-region’s particular requirements.
The Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull Biodiversity Offsetting Strategy is an important part in the delivery of the Sub-regional Green Infrastructure Strategy and is an evidence document for all Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire core strategies.