Off-site BNG units, sourced for your scheme
Whatever you are building in England, BNG Sourced by Green Acres BNG sources the area, hedgerow and watercourse units your metric needs, from providers across England, free for developers.
- One requirement, one point of contact, supply from across England
- Every option checked against your metric, the trading rules and the spatial risk multiplier
- Whole and fractional units of all three types, with planning-ready documentation
- Free for developers: where our involvement results in an introduction, the provider pays us an introduction fee
Start the free sourcing check
Tell us your requirement once. We save your details at step one.
Free for developers. Your details are only used to source your units.
Choose your development type
HousebuildersVolume and SME builders
Fractional units, the minor development equal footing rule and forward allocation for phased sites.
Commercial and logisticsIndustrial, office and retail
Schemes with little room for on-site habitat, where off-site units carry most of the requirement.
Infrastructure and NSIPsEnergy, transport and water
Mandatory BNG for NSIPs from 2 November 2026 and the larger unit volumes those projects need.
How developers use the service
Pre-application
The best time to start. Tell us the draft requirement and we report back on local supply and the multiplier, which can inform design decisions such as keeping a hedgerow or ditch to avoid the scarcest unit types.
Application submitted
Secure matched units or a forward allocation so the gain plan can be submitted promptly after permission, with the allocation already evidenced.
Permission granted with a BNG condition
The clock is now on your start date. We prioritise searches with a deadline and flag timeline risk where supply is limited.
Discharging the condition
If allocation evidence is missing or the metric has changed, we find the balance and work with the provider to update the allocation.
Multi-site and framework sourcing
Developers with a pipeline of schemes do not need to run a fresh search for every site. Tell us the pipeline once and we keep a standing brief: each new metric is matched against current supply in the right region, forward allocations are arranged where a phase is some way off, and you deal with one person throughout. There is no minimum purchase and no retainer; the service stays free for developers however many sites you bring.
What we never do
- Charge developers or take a payment on a provider’s behalf
- Present units that fail the trading rules or come from an unregistered site
- Publish provider names or site details on the website
- Estimate supply or prices we cannot verify
What every developer gets
- One requirement, one point of contact, supply from across England
- Options checked against your metric, the trading rules and the spatial risk multiplier
- Whole and fractional units of all three types
- Planning-ready documentation for your ecologist, consultant and planning authority
- A specialist who understands how habitat banks work, because Green Acres BNG runs two
What off-site units cost in practice
Three numbers decide the bill: the deficit by unit type from your metric, the unit price for the habitat and distinctiveness you need and the spatial risk multiplier for where the supply sits. A 2-unit deficit at an indicative £25,000 per unit is £50,000 from a local site, £66,667 from an adjacent area and £100,000 from elsewhere in England. Hedgerow and watercourse units cost more and are scarcer. Our prices page carries dated ranges and the sourcing check runs the arithmetic for your own figures.
Documents to have ready
- The statutory biodiversity metric with the deficit by unit type
- The baseline survey and habitat plan
- Site postcode and planning reference
- Your decision date or condition discharge deadline
When to source
Pre-application is best, because supply can inform design and local units are taken by whoever moves first. If permission is already granted with a BNG condition, tell us the deadline and we prioritise the search. Development cannot begin until the gain plan is approved and the gain plan cannot be approved until units are allocated.
Developer questions
When should I start sourcing units?
As soon as your ecologist’s metric shows an off-site deficit and ideally before you submit. Supply for some habitat types is limited and the earlier we search the more local options you will have.
Can units come from outside my local authority?
Yes. Units from an adjacent area carry a 0.75 multiplier and units from elsewhere in England 0.5, so you buy more of them. We show the arithmetic for your figures in the sourcing check.
What do units cost?
Prices vary by provider, habitat, distinctiveness and location and the provider confirms the price. See our dated, sourced ranges on the BNG unit prices page.
Can you help if my ecologist has not finished the metric?
Yes. A draft requirement is enough to start a search and we refine it as the metric is completed.
Will I see more than one option?
Where supply allows, yes, with the arithmetic for each so you can compare effective cost per unit of deficit.
How are you different from a habitat bank?
A habitat bank sells its own units. We source from multiple providers across England, including Green Acres BNG’s own two banks and present whatever matches.
Need units for a live application?
Tell us your requirement and we'll start sourcing today.
- One requirement, one point of contact, supply from across England
- Options checked against your metric, the trading rules and the spatial risk multiplier
- Free for developers: where our involvement results in an introduction, the provider pays us an introduction fee
- A specialist in touch, typically within one working day
Free for developers. Your details are only used to source your units.