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What are the BNG rules around Aerodromes?
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There are specific rules that certain sites have to consider when undertaking Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). Nowhere is this truer than when a development site is near an aerodrome, where applicants have to make sure that their actions don’t just fulfil the biodiversity objective, but must also ensure that they do so in a way that promotes aviation safety.
When aircraft are involved, there are – unsurprisingly – additional things that an applicant needs to take into account, not least the fact that certain habitats can increase the risk of bird strikes.
The National Planning Practice Guidance states:
“where a development is located within the bird strike consultation area of an Officially Safeguarded Aerodrome (a 13km circle depicted on a safeguarding map), the local planning authority should consult the relevant aerodrome operator. The creation of significant onsite habitat enhancements to support the biodiversity gain objective for developments near aerodromes could cause greater risk of wildlife strike if the enhancement includes wildlife attractant features.”
So what does this all mean? In a nutshell, it means three things:
- Consider whether there are any aerodromes within 13km of the site. There are a few resources that you can use to do this.
- If there are any aerodromes, try to consider options that are less likely to attract birds. In such cases, off-sites may be a sensible first option.
- Engage with the LPA who, in turn, should engage with the aerodrome.
Taking these sensible steps helps to ensure aviation safety and allows biodiversity to continue to be considered in all new developments. If an applicant is determined to undertake on-site enhancements, they will need to provide sufficient detail of the proposed habitat enhancements to enable proper consideration of the impact on aviation safety.
Over the coming weeks, we will add extra functionality into our tools to help automate this process and encourage best practice but – for now – the best thing you can do is to take into account the above points, engage with both LPA officers and aerodrome operators and make sure that BNG is undertaken in a sensible, safe way.
Oliver Lewis
Oliver Lewis is the founder of Joe’s Blooms, providing end-to-end digital solutions to help you create best-in-class Biodiversity Gain Plans. Expert in this field, he shares his knowledge on the Environment Bill.
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