The rollout of the 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirement has caused concerns across the planning system. Many have viewed it as a "tax on density" that risks slowing housing delivery just when pressure to build is at its peak – but this narrative overlooks a critical opportunity.
BNG, if used strategically, can help councils accelerate development by transforming previously unviable, contaminated brownfield plots into high-value ecological assets. These sites, often considered liabilities, can become powerful tools for unlocking the land scarcity constraining local housing plans.
