This is crazy!

For the OP, you do NOT need any such thing. I just checked the Gov.UK guidance (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/understanding-biodiversity-net-gain) and the regs clearly apply to housing developments, or areas (25sq m is mentioned) where an EXISTING 'habitat' is affected. As it's an existing driveway, that isn't a 'habitat'.

If somebody is trying to sell you 'advice', be suspicious. If the local council is pushing this, talk to councillor(s), make them aware it's misguided (at best). And refer the matter to your MP, they likely won't know, but have a researcher to help!

Ask your local district or county councillor for help?

Agree!

Nothing to do with bio diversity. It's all about making profits for people with their fingers in the pies - or their friends. 1500 pounds! Ridiculous!

Same as with the new private landlords having to increase a house's Energy score. Who judges it? Some chap who did a week's course, knows nothing of the house, spends 20 minutes there and gets paid for his efforts. Meanwhile forces tens of thousands of pounds to be spent on so called 'approved methods' while effective but unapproved methods don't count. Just money for the 'old boys network'.

And what can we do about it? Nought!
PS council or Housing Association rental property? Excluded from the new rules.
Net result, fewer, good, small, accidental landlords; more banks and institutions owning private rental propery.
Scam, scam, scam.

I'm with Aveline on this

Luckygirl3

NotSpaghetti

I suppose we are losing habitat inch by inch.
This is why small areas are still important. Little wildlife bridges.

Yes I do get that. But the area in question has little value as wildlife habitat.

And it's not exactly a new housing estate being proposed.

With cars travelling up and down I wouldn't think that much wildlife has a chance to get established on that strip of land.

NotSpaghetti

I suppose we are losing habitat inch by inch.
This is why small areas are still important. Little wildlife bridges.

Yes I do get that. But the area in question has little value as wildlife habitat.

Submit a proposal drawn to show a path that occupies an area of 24 Sq M.

Adjust reality later.

I suppose we are losing habitat inch by inch.
This is why small areas are still important. Little wildlife bridges.

Luckygirl3

Gin

There are lots of grants available other than the Lottery. Our hall has had help from FCc Landfill Community grants, our Parish Council and a local charity.. it is worth having a search, some small charity funds are the least difficult with less red tape.
I will be looking into this regulation as I had never heard of it, It is interesting to me As I help run our hall and we are currently putting in extra parking spaces.

Unless they are very small parking places (less than 25 square metres) and are over land that is already rubble or tarmac then you might get clobbered by this too. I find it extraordinary that our tiny strip of land along a verge by a drive up to the hall would be covered by this tariff.

It's petty bureaucracy.

Gin

There are lots of grants available other than the Lottery. Our hall has had help from FCc Landfill Community grants, our Parish Council and a local charity.. it is worth having a search, some small charity funds are the least difficult with less red tape.
I will be looking into this regulation as I had never heard of it, It is interesting to me As I help run our hall and we are currently putting in extra parking spaces.

Unless they are very small parking places (less than 25 square metres) and are over land that is already rubble or tarmac then you might get clobbered by this too. I find it extraordinary that our tiny strip of land along a verge by a drive up to the hall would be covered by this tariff.

25 square metres is the cut off - seems very low to me. I can understand it might apply to building a house or a car park, but I was very surprised it applies to a small path.

It depends on the size of the site, though.

NotSpaghetti

That looks great Graphite...
And such a straightforward video too.

Exactly, NS. It explains very clearly what it is necessary and how it can be achieved. It may just be a case of some planting elsewhere on the site to balance whatever biodiversity is lost by concreting over the verge and adding a little more hence the gain part.

My own parish council are very mindful of this when managing the green space around our community hall. Extra parking spaces or other proejcts = more planting elsewhere on the site.

Over the years this has included a new woodland, sensory and wildlife gardens, planters outside the building itself and new trees sponsored by families and tagged as such. The latter was the BNG part of a project to put in a cycle track for the little ones.

It’s become an annual thing for families to photograph their growing child beside their growing tree for a feature in the parish magazine.

Most of the work has been paid for with local grants.

There are lots of grants available other than the Lottery. Our hall has had help from FCc Landfill Community grants, our Parish Council and a local charity.. it is worth having a search, some small charity funds are the least difficult with less red tape.
I will be looking into this regulation as I had never heard of it, It is interesting to me As I help run our hall and we are currently putting in extra parking spaces.

...Is that what you meant Allira?

If there's a drive are you allowed to simply "road-mark" a path?
No bio changes there.

NotSpaghetti

That looks great Graphite...
And such a straightforward video too.

From just £495, complete BNG yourself today

Better still if you have someone involved who can do it free of charge. This is a charitable trust running the hall.

That looks great Graphite...
And such a straightforward video too.

Would the path go up the side of the existing drive, ie use part of it, or have to use some extra land?

We have not made the application yet - a planning guy visited to advise (free).

I think we will have to bide our time and hope no-one gets mown down during the dark nights.

I bet you'd get away with it. If it came to the attention of 'the authorities' they'd have a hard time publicly justifying the removal of a safety rail. Imagine what the media would make of it...

Now you have made the application you either abandon it or go ahead, don't do it without approval now

It's all part of the government drive to reduce red tape

Aveline

Just go ahead and do it?

Noooooo! If some awful jobsworths checks there will an order to rip it down and then there will be no work completed AND no money!

Just go ahead and do it?