One requirement. One point of contact. Supply from across England.
BNG Sourced by Green Acres BNG sources off-site biodiversity units for developers across England, free for developers, with Green Acres BNG’s specialists managing the process. Here is exactly what happens after you tell us what you need.
- 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
About 30 seconds. We save your details at step one.
Free for developers. Your details are only used to source your units.
The four steps
Tell us your requirement
Unit types, quantities, distinctiveness, planning stage and timeline, through the sourcing check or any form on the site. If you only have a draft metric, tell us that too.
We search for supply
Our specialists source potential supply from landowners, habitat bank operators and BNG providers across England, starting local to your site and widening out where the multiplier still makes sense.
We match and check
Options are checked against your metric, the trading rules, distinctiveness and the spatial risk multiplier and against the provider’s register status and legal agreement.
We make the introduction
You agree price and terms directly with the provider. The units are allocated to your development on the biodiversity gain site register and you receive planning-ready documentation.
What our specialists do
- Translate your metric into a sourcing brief
- Search for supply across England and confirm availability
- Check the trading rules, distinctiveness and the spatial risk multiplier
- Check register status, Section 106 or conservation covenant and allocation terms
- Present matched options with the arithmetic shown
- Make the introduction and stay available until allocation
What you do
- Tell us the requirement once, with your ecologist’s metric if you have it
- Choose the option that suits your programme and budget
- Agree price and terms directly with the provider
- Submit the allocation evidence with your biodiversity gain plan
Timelines
A first response typically within one working day. Matched options usually within days for standard area habitat units, longer for scarce habitat types or very large volumes. Allocation timing depends on the provider and your planning authority.
Planning condition to discharge?
Get supply matched to your metric. Tell us the deadline and we prioritise your search.
What a good match looks like
Not every registered unit is the right unit. When our specialists present an option, it has already passed five checks.
| Check | What we confirm | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Unit type | Area, hedgerow or watercourse, matching your deficit | The three types cannot substitute for each other |
| Trading rules | Habitat type and distinctiveness are like for like or better | The gain plan is refused if the trading rules are not met |
| Spatial risk | LPA and National Character Area of the gain site against your development | Decides whether you buy 1.0, 1.34 or 2.0 times the deficit |
| Register and security | BGS reference, unallocated units, Section 106 or conservation covenant and its term | Only registered, secured units can be allocated |
| Delivery | Whether habitat is created or still to be delivered, documentation and allocation process | Affects temporal risk, timing and what your ecologist can evidence |
The information we work from
The more complete your metric, the faster the match. Ideally we need the deficit by unit type, the distinctiveness and condition of habitat lost, the development’s local planning authority and postcode, the planning stage and your deadline. If you have only a condition or a pre-application estimate, we start from that and refine as the metric is finalised.
After the introduction
You and the provider agree price, allocation timing and documentation. The provider records the allocation on Natural England’s register and supplies the evidence for your biodiversity gain plan. We stay available until the allocation is complete and can help if the metric changes before approval.
Our sourcing service and how we are paid
Our sourcing service is free for developers. Where our involvement results in an introduction, the BNG provider pays us an introduction fee. Unit prices and terms are agreed directly between you and the provider.
Green Acres’ own habitat banks, Netherton Park and High Spen, are one supply option among many. We source from multiple BNG providers and present the options that match your requirement, whichever provider they come from.
Questions about the process
Do I need a metric before I contact you?
No. A completed statutory biodiversity metric makes matching faster, but we can start from a draft, a pre-application estimate or a planning condition. If you are not sure how many units you need, say so in the sourcing check and we will work with your ecologist.
Who do I pay?
The provider. You agree price and terms directly with them. We do not handle your payment and we do not charge developers.
Will you show me who the providers are?
Yes, once we have matched options for you. Providers are named in the introduction, not on the website.
Can you reserve units ahead of my decision?
Often, yes. Forward allocation agreements let you secure units before permission is granted. Read our guide to forward allocation agreements.
What if there is no supply near my site?
We widen the search to adjacent areas and then elsewhere in England and show you how the spatial risk multiplier changes the number of units you buy in each case. Statutory biodiversity credits remain a last resort.
Can I speak to someone before using the sourcing check?
Yes. Request a callback from any page and a specialist will phone you at the time you choose.
Do you work with planning consultants as well as developers?
Yes. Consultants and ecologists refer projects through the ecologists and consultants page and can keep the client relationship.
Is there a minimum requirement size?
No. We source fractions of a unit for minor development and hundreds of units for infrastructure.
Ready when you are
Tell us your requirement and one of our specialists will be in touch, typically within one working day.
- 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.