Where BNG units are available in England, by region
A live outlook on off-site unit supply across the nine English regions, by unit type, built directly from Natural England’s biodiversity gain site register and refreshed daily. The monthly email adds commentary on what is moving.
Last updated:
- Nine regions, three unit types, one table, updated monthly
- Built only from verifiable register counts, never estimated
- Commentary on what is moving supply and prices
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Regional supply outlook
Good, limited or scarce by unit type, derived from the number of registered gain sites creating each habitat type in each region, with units allocated to developments to date, pulled from Natural England’s biodiversity gain site register and refreshed every day. See data and methodology.
registered gain sites in England
hectares of habitat secured
allocations to developments
units allocated to date
Natural England biodiversity gain site register, updated 4 October 2026. Open Government Licence v3.0.
| Region | Registered sites | Area habitat | Hedgerow | Watercourse | Units allocated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 31 | Limited 31 sites | Limited 19 sites | Limited 5 sites | 596.7 |
| North West | 40 | Good 40 sites | Good 24 sites | Good 15 sites | 506.3 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 36 | Good 36 sites | Limited 19 sites | Good 9 sites | 311.6 |
| East Midlands | 31 | Limited 31 sites | Good 21 sites | Limited 3 sites | 278.5 |
| West Midlands | 24 | Limited 24 sites | Limited 14 sites | Limited 5 sites | 169.0 |
| East of England | 59 | Good 59 sites | Good 40 sites | Good 12 sites | 470.5 |
| London | 2 | Scarce 2 sites | Scarce 2 sites | Scarce 0 sites | 3.3 |
| South East | 84 | Good 84 sites | Good 60 sites | Good 14 sites | 725.0 |
| South West | 54 | Good 54 sites | Good 38 sites | Good 18 sites | 236.2 |
| England | 361 | 361 sites | 237 sites | 81 sites | 3,297.1 |
Counts of registered gain sites creating each habitat type and units allocated to developments, from Natural England's biodiversity gain site register, updated 4 October 2026. Good: 35 or more sites creating area habitat, 20 hedgerow, 8 watercourse. Limited: 15, 8 and 3 or more. Scarce: fewer.
How to read the index
Good means several registered sites with unallocated units of that type across the region, so a local or adjacent match is likely. Limited means supply exists but is concentrated in a few authorities or a few sites, so the multiplier may apply or forward allocation may be sensible. Scarce means few or no registered sites with that unit type, so expect adjacent or elsewhere sourcing and start early. The band describes the region, not your site: the multiplier, distinctiveness and trading rules decide what works for a given development.
What is driving supply in each region
| Region | Demand driver | Supply character |
|---|---|---|
| North East | Housing and Teesside industry | Northumberland and Durham supply; little in Tyneside |
| North West | Greater Manchester housing, Mersey logistics | Cheshire, Lancashire and Cumbria supply |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | Leeds housing, Humber energy | North Yorkshire and East Riding supply |
| East Midlands | Logistics | Reasonable across the shires |
| West Midlands | Birmingham housing, automotive | Rural shires supply the conurbation |
| East of England | Oxford to Cambridge corridor, energy | Dear; Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire supply |
| London | Dense urban development | Very little; Home Counties at 0.75 |
| South East | Largest market | Broad but absorbed quickly; premium prices |
| South West | Bristol, Swindon, Exeter | Strongest rural supply base |
Commentary, October 2026
Three things are shaping supply this autumn. Registered sites in England continue to grow, which has softened prices for common grassland units while scarce habitat types hold firm. Mandatory BNG for NSIPs from 2 November 2026 is expected to add large-volume demand, particularly along energy and transport corridors. And the planned move of spatial risk to Local Nature Recovery Strategy areas, with no commencement date yet, would redraw what counts as local supply for every region.
Watercourse units remain the hardest to find everywhere. Hedgerow units are limited in most regions. Area habitat units of medium distinctiveness are the most widely available, with the south east and east of England dearest.
What the index is for
It tells developers, ecologists and consultants where sourcing is likely to be straightforward and where to start early. It does not name providers or sites. Tell us what you need and we will find it. The monthly email carries the updated table and commentary.
Index questions
Where does the data come from?
Natural England’s biodiversity gain site register, used under the Open Government Licence, read automatically every day. Each registered site is placed in its region from the grid reference on the register.
How often is the index updated?
The register is synchronised every day. The table shows the date of the last successful update, and the monthly email adds commentary.
Can I get the full report?
Yes. Request the latest supply index report through the resource form on the prices page or any guide or sign up above for the monthly email.
Need supply confirmed for your site?
Tell us the postcode and unit types and our specialists will confirm what is available.