Mandatory for most developments in England

BNG reporting
software

Model your baseline, created and enhanced habitat units with a calculator built on Defra’s Statutory Biodiversity Metric, track your mandatory 10% net gain, and evidence a Biodiversity Gain Plan — alongside your carbon data, not in a separate spreadsheet.

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Statutory Biodiversity Metric

Environment Act 2021 aligned

10% net gain tracking

Free to start

What's included

Everything you need to evidence
Biodiversity Net Gain

From baseline survey data to the certificate a planning authority or client asks for.

Statutory Biodiversity Metric calculator

Model area habitats, hedgerows and watercourses separately, using the statutory metric's size, condition, distinctiveness and strategic significance factors.

Baseline vs post-development modelling

Track your pre-development baseline units and model post-development habitats to confirm you reach at least 110% of baseline.

On-site / off-site hierarchy

Model how much of your 10% gain is delivered on-site before falling back to off-site units or statutory credits, following the on-site-first order BNG applies.

Biodiversity Gain Plan evidence

The baseline, proposed habitats and net gain figures behind a Biodiversity Gain Plan, kept live rather than worked out once and filed.

Biodiversity Net Gain certificate

A polished, branded certificate you can attach to a tender or hand to a client, alongside your other compliance documents.

Alongside carbon

BNG data sits next to your Scope 1/2/3 carbon tracking, so a coherent sustainability story comes from one set of project data, not two disconnected spreadsheets.

Why switch

Replace the BNG spreadsheet

The habitat calculations and evidence you're already trying to track, unified into one auditable system.

Spreadsheets

VerdCore

Manual unit calculations

Statutory Metric calculator built in

Separate from carbon data

Alongside Scope 1/2/3 tracking

Static plan, filed once

Live record across the 30-year term

No client-ready evidence

Certificate ready to attach

How to start

Three steps to an
evidenced 10% net gain

Enter your baseline

Input your ecologist's survey data — area habitats, hedgerows and watercourses — as baseline units.

Model the gain

Add proposed post-development habitats and see your net gain percentage against the mandatory 10% in real time.

Evidence and export

Generate the Biodiversity Gain Plan evidence and certificate your planning authority or client needs.

Standards covered

Built around the statutory
BNG requirements

Every calculation follows the framework planning authorities actually check.

Environment Act 2021

The legislation that made Biodiversity Net Gain a mandatory condition of planning permission in England.

Statutory Biodiversity Metric

Defra’s official tool for converting habitats into comparable biodiversity units, and the one planning submissions must use. Superseded for statutory BNG by the Statutory Biodiversity Metric, which planning submissions must use.

Biodiversity Gain Plan

The document setting out the baseline, proposed habitats and how the 10% gain is secured for 30 years.

30-year monitoring

On-site and off-site gains are secured and monitored for at least 30 years under planning conditions or conservation covenants.

The framework behind the software

A plain-English guide to mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is BNG reporting software?

BNG reporting software calculates and evidences Biodiversity Net Gain — the mandatory minimum 10% improvement in biodiversity that most new developments in England must deliver. VerdCore models baseline, created and enhanced habitat units using Defra’s Statutory Biodiversity Metric, reporting area habitats, hedgerows and watercourses separately. It is a planning aid covering on-site habitat: off-site gains, trading rules and credits are not modelled, so your formal submission must be made with Defra’s own tool.

Is Biodiversity Net Gain mandatory?

Yes. Under the Environment Act 2021, BNG became a mandatory condition of planning permission in England — 12 February 2024 for major developments and 2 April 2024 for small sites. Applicable developments must deliver a minimum 10% net gain in biodiversity, measured and maintained for at least 30 years.

What is the statutory biodiversity metric?

The Statutory Biodiversity Metric is Defra's official tool for converting habitats into biodiversity units based on size, condition, distinctiveness and strategic significance. It replaced Biodiversity Metric 4.0, and calculations from version 4.0 or earlier are not accepted in planning applications. Area habitats, hedgerows and watercourses are measured separately, and each must not fall below its pre-development baseline.

Can VerdCore calculate my 10% net gain?

Yes. VerdCore includes a Statutory Biodiversity Metric calculator that models your baseline and post-development habitat units and shows your net gain percentage against the mandatory 10% requirement, alongside your carbon tracking rather than in a separate spreadsheet.

Does VerdCore produce a Biodiversity Gain Plan?

VerdCore's BNG calculator and reporting output give you the baseline, the proposed habitats and the net gain evidence needed to support a Biodiversity Gain Plan submission, plus a Biodiversity Net Gain certificate you can attach to a tender or hand to a client.

Is there a free plan?

Yes. VerdCore is free to start, with a 14-day Pro trial and no card required. Paid plans start from £19/month for firms that need more projects, reports and team seats.

BNG reporting software

Everything you need to evidence Biodiversity Net Gain