Source off-site BNG units in any English region
Choose your region for the local planning authorities, Local Nature Recovery Strategy areas, supply outlook by unit type and a region-specific sourcing check. BNG Sourced by Green Acres BNG sources from providers across England, so where your site is decides the multiplier, not whether we can help.
- North East
- North West
- Yorkshire and the Humber
- East Midlands
- West Midlands
- East of England
- London
- South East
- South West
Choose a region for the local planning authorities, LNRS areas, supply outlook and a region-specific sourcing check.
Why region matters
Spatial risk is currently assessed by local planning authority and National Character Area: units from the same area count in full, adjacent areas carry a 0.75 multiplier and elsewhere in England 0.5. Supply also varies sharply by region and by unit type. Watercourse units are scarce everywhere, hedgerow units are limited in most regions and medium distinctiveness area habitat units are generally the easiest to find, with the south east and east of England dearest.
The planned move to England’s 48 Local Nature Recovery Strategy areas would redraw what counts as local. Read the LNRS guide and check the supply index for the latest regional outlook.
How to choose between local, adjacent and elsewhere supply
Start local. Units in the same local planning authority or National Character Area count in full and planning authorities prefer gains delivered near the harm. If local supply of the right type and distinctiveness does not exist, compare adjacent options on effective cost per unit of deficit (price divided by 0.75) and only then look elsewhere in England (price divided by 0.5). For scarce types such as watercourse units, elsewhere supply is often the only option and is still far cheaper than statutory credits.
What varies by region
| Factor | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Registered supply | Strongest in the South West, North Yorkshire, Devon, Somerset and the shires; weakest inside conurbations and Greater London |
| Prices | A southern premium of roughly 15% to 45% depending on habitat; common grassland softening nationally |
| Scarce types | Watercourse units scarce everywhere; hedgerow units limited in most regions |
| Demand drivers | Housing in the growth corridors, logistics in the Midlands and Yorkshire, energy and ports on the coasts, NSIPs from 2 November 2026 |
| Other constraints | Nutrient neutrality in parts of Hampshire, Kent, Sussex, Somerset and Dorset alongside BNG |
The LNRS question
England’s 48 Local Nature Recovery Strategies are already published or in preparation and the government plans to use their boundaries for spatial risk in place of LPAs and NCAs, with no date set. Each region page lists its LNRS areas. For most urban developments the change would widen what counts as local; for some rural sites it would narrow it. Do not wait for it: applications are decided under the rules in force when the gain plan is approved.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy units in a different region from my development?
Yes, at the elsewhere multiplier of 0.5, which doubles the units bought. It is sometimes the cheapest route for common grassland and the only route for scarce types.
How do I find my National Character Area?
Natural England publishes an NCA map. The sourcing check looks up your local planning authority from the postcode and our specialists confirm the NCA.
Do you source in every region?
Yes. The whole of England, from multiple providers, including Green Acres BNG’s own two habitat banks in the North East.
Where do the regional outlooks come from?
Natural England’s biodiversity gain site register, read automatically every day. Each registered site is placed in its region from its grid reference and counted by the habitat types it creates. See data and methodology for the bands.
Not sure which region your site falls in?
Give us the postcode and the sourcing check works it out, along with the planning authority.