How mandatory biodiversity net gain is a great opportunity for the health sector

Improving the biodiversity of England is the primary aim of new legislation on biodiversity net gain (BNG) that came into force earlier this year. But the benefits could be broad.

The change means that the construction industry no longer just builds roads, hospitals and schools - it is now an industry that builds ponds, grassland, woodlands and scrublands too. As a result, how the sector creates and enhances wildlife-rich habitats must now be central to the feasibility stage of planning and design on new projects.

While at first glance the requirements may seem challenging, if BNG is applied with skill, the end result will deliver co-benefits to our wellbeing as well as for nature. And some - such as healthcare facilities - have more to gain than most with studies showing that exposure to nature can help speed up recovery and provide better outcomes for staff too.

Before discussing how best to deliver these benefits and the role biophilic design might play, let's look at what the new BNG legislation means for England's planning process, starting with what BNG actually is.

BNG experts have been working on defining what it is and what good practice looks like for more than a decade, so a wealth of industry knowledge has been developed ahead of the legal change. The new legislation may feel complex, but the concept of BNG is quite simple - it is development that leaves biodiversity in a measurably better state than before. While the concept is straightforward, there is a level of technical excellence that must underpin the delivery.

The legislation means that a minimum of 10% BNG is now mandatory for most developments seeking planning permission and is expected to apply to major schemes that are classes as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from November 2025. The minimum in the legislation is critical as some local authorities are calling for much higher gains, for example, Kingston-upon-Thames is exploring a minimum of 30%, and other local authorities have very specific guidelines on how BNG is applied.

Understanding how BNG is measured is also key. The gain is measured in 'habitat units' that are calculated by a government-set statutory biodiversity metric that standardises the calculation and brings together habitat type, size, condition and location to quantify the baseline.

It is essential for developers to understand their site's habitats as early as possible so that they can start to work with what is already on the site and develop ideas to design BNG habitats with the maximum benefits. Working with ecologists and landscape architects at an early stage is also key, especially to minimise the habitat that needs to be cleared to enable the development, which will also reduce the loss of habitat units. This means less work is needed to regain neutrality before you deliver your 10% - or more - of BNG.

There are many benefits and opportunities that come with the mandating og BNG but there is potential for the impact to be broader still.

Much of the discussion on BNG so far has been on how new developments will need to adapt and change, however, there is much to be gained for end users as well as nature. Maximising the benefits to people means thinking differently about the designs of the buildings too.

BNG focuses on the land surrounding a development, whereas biophilic design is about connecting people and nature in the built environment. Integrating BNG with biophilic design concepts means that it is possible to improve the expereince for the users of the building, as well as increasing natural habitats. Studies have shown that incorporating biophilic desing elements in a healthcare setting contributes more to positive health outcomes, better pain and stress management and improved staff performance and wellbeing.

Biophilic design is not new - the first design frameworks for the approach were developed over 15 years ago - but the desire to reap the benefits has never been greater and the advent of mandaotry BNG puts the spotlight on the potential too.

Biophilic design interventions should be project specific and tailored to place, purpose and people but does not need to be extensive to be effective. This was demonstrated on a project we delivered for 14 hospital sites in Wales last year which assessed existing biodiversity value and explored enhancement opportunities. The amount of outdoor space at each site varied significantly, however there was a solution for each one that delivered BNG and sucessfully incorporated biophilic design.

This work highlights that no project or budget is too small to accomodate biophilic design principles to connect people with nature and that it should be a key component of considering how a development delivers BNG.

While the focus of the new legislation is on new projects, BNG and biophilic desing can be retrofitted to most developments, bringing benefits to biodiversity and wellbeing anywhere. Whether you are working on a new build that falls under the mandate or an upgrade project that does not, we urge you to consider how your work could be adapted to improve biodiversity as early as possible, so that you can also improve the lives of users too.