Biodiversity report for 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025

Executive summary

This report documents the policies and actions that the council has carried out over the period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 to comply with its biodiversity duty under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. This includes actions taken to improve the natural environment, raise public awareness on biodiversity, increase access to nature for local residents, and actions the council intends to take over the next reporting period to ensure it meets its duty over future years. It also includes latest data on implementation of mandatory biodiversity net gain (BNG) in the borough over the reporting period.

The borough supports a wide range of important habitats and species, many of which occur within council-owned and managed land. The council carries out a significant amount of work on its land and within its wider remits (such as planning and partnership working), and has a number of notable achievements for biodiversity over recent years, with major highlights including:

• the adoption of the Biodiversity Strategy for Basingstoke and Deane 2023 to 2029 and ongoing efforts to monitor and report its progress
• expanding efforts in favourable habitat management on council-owned sites
• contributing to the development and adoption of the Hampshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy
• implementing mandatory biodiversity net gain within the planning system; and
• the building of strong links and partnership working with the community, notably with the help of our valued key conservation partner Natural Basingstoke

It is recognised however that more needs to be done to stem and reverse the decline of nature in the borough, particularly in light of ever-increasing pressures from development, intensive agricultural practices, pollution and climate change. This requires action from a wide range of stakeholders and organisations, and we look forward to playing our part, along with partners, in delivering our aims and aspirations for nature over the coming years.

Potential local government reorganisation in the county may have significant implications for the council and its future work on biodiversity over the next reporting period. If local government reorganisation goes ahead in the region, the council will ensure it works closely with neighbouring councils and partners to help to encourage the new unitary council that replaces it to deliver for nature in a way that is as closely aligned as possible with the council’s current approach.

Background

Biodiversity is the variety of life around us; plants, animals, fungi, and microorganisms, interacting together in a range of ecosystems, provides us with the air we breathe, food we eat and water we drink; it has a strong cultural impact, significantly contributing to our mental and physical wellbeing, and spiritual and cultural beliefs.

Nature forms healthy soils and recycles nutrients; it ensures the growth and pollination of our crops and helps reduce the effects of climate change. It is critical in underpinning the wellbeing of our communities and forms the foundation for a stable economy. The services of nature have been shown to exceed the benefit of any manufacturing sector in England, exceeding £37.1 billion in 2022 according to DEFRA .

However, the state of nature is in decline. Between 1970 and 2022, the average abundance of species in the UK declined by a third and 13% of species are threatened with extinction. Risks to these essential ‘ecosystem services’ such as water scarcity, pollution and loss of species could shrink the UK economy by 3%³ over the next decade unless action is taken, estimates the Green Finance Institute.

Government has published its ‘Environmental Improvement Plan’ (EIP), a strategic framework to improve England’s natural environment. The EIP contains 10 goals, the first being ‘Restored nature’, with a delivery plan for action. This will require partnership working across a whole range of stakeholders from private and public sectors, and local councils will have various important roles to play.

The Environment Act 2021 introduced a strengthened ‘biodiversity duty’ which requires all public authorities in England to consider what they can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity. As a public authority, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council must:

• consider what it can do to conserve and enhance biodiversity
• agree policies and specific objectives based on this consideration
• act to deliver its policies and achieve its objectives

Additionally, as a local authority, the council must publish a biodiversity report that sets out the policies and actions it has carried out to comply with the duty. This report forms the council’s first biodiversity report under the strengthened duty, covering the period 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025. Following this, subsequent reports will be published at least every five years. These reports also help demonstrate the council’s role and action taken that contribute to goals within the government’s Environmental Improvement Plan.

This report is written in alignment with government guidance, containing a summary of action the council has taken to comply with the biodiversity duty, how it intends to comply with the duty in the next reporting period, and information on biodiversity net gain including actions taken to meet biodiversity net gain obligations, details of biodiversity net gain resulting, or expected to result from approved biodiversity gain plans, and how it plans to meet biodiversity net gain obligations in the next reporting period. Additionally, some further information is provided in the report to demonstrate the council’s efforts in conserving and enhancing biodiversity.

Information about the council and the borough

The council

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, first formed in 1974, is a local government authority that provides local services and governance in the district of Basingstoke and Deane. The borough lies in the north of Hampshire covering over 63,000 hectares (245 square miles) with a total population of 193,110 (as at 2024).

The council comprises a number of services that carry out various functions. These include waste collection, street care and grounds maintenance, leisure and open spaces, licensing and community work. It is also the local planning authority for the area, responsible for preparing the local plan and determining and enforcing planning applications.

The council owns approximately 1165ha of land in the borough (excluding land rented or sold). Of this, around 700ha is green space, of which approximately 40% (280ha) is managed by the council specifically for nature across 60 different sites.

The borough and its natural assets

The borough is predominantly a rural area, with some key urban settlements including the main town Basingstoke, as well as Tadley, Kingsclere, Whitchurch, Overton and Oakley, and numerous other villages and hamlets.

Over 75% of the land in the borough is defined as agricultural or woodland. Two distinct geological areas span the area, with two thirds lying on chalk bedrock and the other third on clay, giving rise to a distinct variety of habitats and species. Four important river corridors are present including the River Test and headwaters of the River Itchen in the south, the River Loddon in the east and the River Enborne to the north; the first three of these form chalk streams, a valuable and globally restricted habitat.

Approximately a third of the western part of the borough falls within the North Wessex Downs National Landscape.

The borough supports twenty nationally designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), one National Nature Reserve (NNR) and 11 local nature reserves. Together, these sites amount to 925ha. The borough also supports 835 locally designated Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC), covering 6306ha which forms 10% of the whole borough. All these sites benefit from legislative, national and/or local policy protection and are mapped on the Hampshire LNRS as ‘Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity’. Additionally, the borough has forty ‘Road Verges of Ecological Importance’ (RVEI), locally designated for their notable habitat and/or species interest.

Important ‘priority habitats’ present in the borough, within and outside of its designated sites, include ancient semi-natural broadleaved woodland, wet woodland, wood pasture and parkland, rivers and wetlands, chalk downland, heath and acid grassland, lowland meadow, floodplain grazing marsh and arable field margin habitat. Together they cover 8434ha, 13% of the whole borough. Most of these areas, where not covered by designated sites, are mapped by the Hampshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy as ‘Areas That Could Become of Particular Importance for Biodiversity’. 200ha priority habitat is present across council-owned sites being favourably managed.

The borough also supports a range of notable and protected species including hazel dormouse, great crested newt, several bat species and common reptiles like grass snake and common lizard. Notable invertebrates include golden ringed dragonfly, beautiful demoiselle, and white admiral, purple emperor and Duke of Burgundy butterflies. Important birds include stone curlew and grey partridge, both farmland specialists. Rare fly orchids and cut leaved germander can be found within some of the area’s SSSI sites, and white helleborine orchids are commonly seen within and around Basingstoke.

The natural assets of the borough are well described in the council’s Biodiversity Audit report (July 2024), published on the council website.

Future actions for nature

Over the next five years, the council intends to continue progress under its Biodiversity Strategy, modifying its action plan as actions are completed and work evolves. Key actions and aspirations the council intends to carry out over the next reporting period are listed below.

• Biodiversity Strategy for Basingstoke and Deane 2023 to 2029 – continue to deliver and monitor progress under the Strategy Action Plan, with annual updates as required. Report annually to committee on the Strategy’s identified priorities (including habitats and species, designated sites and accessible greenspace), as well as efforts in site management and monitoring, planning, biodiversity net gain and community engagement; the second annual report was presented to the Environment and Infrastructure Committee in February 2026. Towards the end of the current strategy period, review and update the overall strategy to cover period 2029-2034
• Rights of Rivers – the council will seek to adopt a declaration on the Right of Rivers and further embed the protection and enhancement of the water environment into key strategies and into the emerging local plan, and project work;
• Habitat management – continue to manage council-owned sites for nature, focussing on habitat creation and restoration and control of invasive non-native species; expand the extent of this where resources allow;
• Monitoring of species and habitats – as referenced above, continue to survey and monitor priority species and habitats identified within the council’s biodiversity strategy, to be carried out by council officers in conjunction with assistance from local volunteers;
• Project work – develop and implement council-led or partnership projects that deliver habitat enhancement, particularly including chalk streams. Explore the opportunity to generate biodiversity net gain units from habitat creation and/or restoration. Seek to expand the council’s biodiversity improvement zone project to other areas of Basingstoke and Deane, exploring the opportunity to generate biodiversity net gain units from habitat creation and/or restoration;
• Hampshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy delivery – incorporate consideration of the strategy into council functions and decision making. Deliver and encourage the delivery of identified measures for nature on land in the borough, through management of council owned sites and planning;
• Strategic planning – develop a suite of strong environmental policies in the draft local plan that will contribute to the protection and enhancement of biodiversity, taking account of national policies and legislation; ensure the draft local plan aligns closely with priorities in the Hampshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy; conduct and update as soon as possible environmental assessments to support the evolution of the draft Local Plan including strategic environment assessment, habitats regulations assessment and water cycle study;
• Strategies and policy – the council will develop and publish a green and blue infrastructure strategy to set out an updated framework for the distribution, design and management of our green spaces and habitats. Additionally, it will look to review and update its tree policy to guide the protection and management of trees across the borough;
• Biodiversity net gain – continue to track, monitor and enforce (where necessary) offsite and significant onsite biodiversity net gain secured through planning. Encourage alignment of biodiversity net gain proposals with priorities set within the Hampshire LNRS to target habitat enhancements;
• Habitat banks – facilitate the establishment of further private habitat banks in the borough to support the local biodiversity net gain market and enable sustainable development. Explore, design and implement council-run habitat banks to be secured by a conservation covenant(s) in collaboration with a suitable Responsible Body(ies);
• Partnerships – continue to work closely with external partners to deliver for nature, including Natural Basingstoke, neighbouring authorities, non-governmental organisations such as the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and river catchment partnerships, and statutory agencies. Continue to represent on the NWDNL Council of Partners and the PfSH Natural Environment Group. Continue to support and collaborate with HBIC to enhance and monitor biological data. Explore setting up a borough-wide partnership for nature;
• Community engagement – working across council teams and in partnership with Natural Basingstoke, increase reach and engagement with local communities to increase public awareness and access to nature, and deliver more for nature through active voluntary work. Expand educational outreach for Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 students and form a partnership with a local further education establishment;
• Internal engagement - deliver further biodiversity training to internal council teams to increase awareness of biodiversity and cover aspects such as biodiversity net gain and the local nature recovery strategy. Encourage engagement from other teams in identifying opportunities and progressing action for nature across the council’s different functions;
• Locally designated sites - continue to support the identification and designation of new SINCs and the declaration of new local nature reserves in the borough.

In spring 2026, a decision from government is expected following consultation on local government reorganisation proposals for Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton. This may have significant implications for the council’s aims and aspirations for action on biodiversity during the next reporting period.

At the time of writing, these implications are not yet known and therefore the future actions listed above represent the council’s current approach in the scenario if local government reorganisation does not go ahead. If local government reorganisation is set to proceed, the council will work closely with neighbouring councils to support the new unitary authority to be set up in a way that would see it capably meet its own biodiversity duty and deliver for nature in a manner that is as closely aligned as possible with the council’s current approach.

Biodiversity net gain information

Biodiversity net gain is an approach to development that ensures habitats for wildlife are left in a measurably better state than beforehand. It is now a mandatory requirement for all development (save for some exemptions) under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 (as amended by the Environment Act 2021).

Under the new statutory framework, every grant of planning permission is subject to a pre-commencement ‘biodiversity gain condition’ where the developer is required to submit a ‘Biodiversity Gain Plan’ (BGP). The plan must set out certain information including pre- and post-development biodiversity values of the onsite habitat (i.e. within the red line boundary), details of any registered offsite biodiversity gains allocated to the development, and/or biodiversity credits purchased for the development.

Actions taken by the council to meet biodiversity net gain obligations

The council has taken various measures in order to implement mandatory biodiversity net gain. This has included making changing to procedures and processes in the planning system, tracking, monitoring and reporting biodiversity net gain secured by eligible development in the borough, and supporting the establishment of a local biodiversity net gain market by facilitating habitat banks in the area. This is set out in more detail below:

• Procedural change – the council has implemented changes in the planning process and officer training to ensure biodiversity net gain is properly assessed and addressed by planning and biodiversity officers in line with the mandatory legislation and government guidance. This includes:
• Validation stage - checking applications against relevant validation criteria including eligibility, minimal information requirements, site degradation and impacts on irreplaceable habitat
• Application stage – scrutiny of plans, statutory metrics and habitat condition assessment sheets; appropriate response wording/input from internal Biodiversity consultees; addition of the biodiversity gain condition to the decision notice and any appropriately worded planning condition to secure onsite biodiversity net gain; consideration and drafting of legal agreement as needed
• Discharge of condition – scrutiny of submitted biodiversity gain plans and accompanying information including finalised metrics, plans and Habitat Management and Monitoring Plans (HMMPs); updating of recording spreadsheets and GIS software
• Post-approval stage – monitoring of biodiversity net gain delivery as per planning condition or S106.

• Monitoring biodiversity net gain – the council monitors biodiversity net gain in the borough in two ways:
• Tracking expected biodiversity net gain gains and losses from approved eligible developments using data from approved biodiversity gain plans and statutory metrics, carried out manually using spreadsheets and GIS software.
• Review of biodiversity net gain monitoring reports submitted by developers and habitat bank providers for offsite and significant onsite biodiversity net gain where secured by a s106 with the council. Monitoring of onsite and offsite biodiversity net gain delivery will commence in line with the relevant planning obligations for each development (generally commencing in the autumn of Year 1 of biodiversity net gain delivery). Biodiversity officers will review monitoring reports sent in by the developer and will carry out spot checks as necessary. Monitoring is expected to commence in 2026/27 (noting that monitoring of pre-mandatory biodiversity net gain secured prior to February 2024 has already been ongoing). This is funded by a BNG monitoring fee as published on the council’s budgets and spending webpage.

• Reporting biodiversity net gain – the data from biodiversity net gain monitoring informs annual reporting under the council’s Biodiversity Strategy as well as the council’s five-yearly biodiversity reporting under its strengthened biodiversity duty (this report forms the first of these).

• Supporting the local biodiversity net gain market – in September 2025, the council signed off the first privately-run habitat bank in the borough, a 4.5ha site at Old Rectory Farm in Kingsclere. Habitat banks are a way of generating ‘biodiversity units’ from habitat enhancements on a piece of land that can be sold to developers who can’t meet their own biodiversity net gain requirements onsite; having habitat banks within the borough can stimulate the local biodiversity net gain market and will help retain the benefits of biodiversity net gain for local people and wildlife. The Old Rectory Farm scheme has generated 19.14 units – a net gain of 77% for grassland and scrub habitats, and a gain of 45% for hedgerows and trees. A second habitat bank, a 12ha site in the Ellisfield area, is now being considered with the legal agreement currently being developed. This scheme could deliver 74.5 units, a net gain of 322% of grassland, scrub and woodland habitats on the site, and 5 units or 309% gain in hedgerows. It is anticipated this scheme will get the sign off before the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

Biodiversity net gain data for development in Basingstoke and Deane covering period 12 February 2024 – 31 December 2025

Appendix 1 sets out data gathered from all approved biodiversity gain plans in Basingstoke and Deane for the reporting period February 2024 (since mandatory biodiversity net gain came into force for major development) to 31 December 2025. The headline data are detailed below:

• Eligible planning permissions - ten biodiversity gain plans have been approved over the reporting period. Eight of these developments have secured their biodiversity net gain entirely onsite; one has secured biodiversity net gain delivery solely through offsite units, and one development has sought biodiversity net gain through a combination of onsite and offsite units.
• Overall expected gains and losses - the overall average % net change is 20.24% (3.43 habitat units and 0.67 hedgerow units). The average % net change in onsite units is 19.99% (an increase of 3.24 habitat units and 0.67 hedgerow units). The average % net change in offsite units stands at 28.36% (an increase of 0.19 habitat units). No developments in the borough have secured biodiversity net gain through the purchase of government statutory credits.
• Impacts on irreplaceable habitat (ancient woodland of lowland fen in the Basingstoke and Deane area) – no biodiversity net gain-eligible developments in the borough have impacted irreplaceable habitat.
• Location of offsite biodiversity units - one development has secured biodiversity net gain delivery solely through offsite units within the local planning authority boundary, and one development has sought biodiversity net gain through a combination of onsite and offsite units, with the latter purchased from a habitat bank outside of the local planning authority boundary (near London).
• Results of monitoring biodiversity gains – no monitoring of reports/spot checking has yet occurred due to the early stage in the process. This is expected to commence in 2026/27.
• Composition of habitat gains (areas) – the gains come mainly from creation and/or enhancement of grassland and scrub habitat, along with some smaller gains in woodland and individual tree habitat. (Habitat losses come mainly from urban habitat types and some ‘sparsely vegetated land’.)
• Composition of habitat gains (hedgerows and lines of trees) – gains originate mainly from creation and/or enhancement of species-rich native hedgerow and native hedgerow. (Habitat losses come mainly from lines of trees and some non-native ornamental hedgerow.)
• Composition of habitat gains (watercourses) – no developments have been required to secure gains in watercourses over the reporting period.

Monitoring of onsite and offsite biodiversity net gain delivery will commence in line with the relevant planning obligations for each development (generally commencing in the autumn of Year 1 of biodiversity net gain delivery). Biodiversity officers will review monitoring reports sent in by the developer and will carry out spot checks as necessary. Monitoring is expected to commence for the developments listed below in 2026/27.

Looking ahead

The council plans to meet biodiversity net gain obligations over the next reporting period through the following specific actions:

• continue to track, monitor and report on biodiversity net gain in the borough
• adapt processes and procedures as required with any future legislative or national policy changes to the mandatory framework
• develop local plan policy to appropriately reflect biodiversity net gain in line with national policy and provide guidance to developers and landowners, including on proposed allocated sites
• encourage the use of the Hampshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy to target offsite biodiversity net gain in the most ecologically optimal areas of the borough
• formalise and implement a process for establishing further private habitat banks in the borough to help facilitate the local offsite biodiversity net gain market, supported with appropriate promotion and collaboration with landowners and habitat bank scheme promoters
• explore the delivery of a habitat bank(s) on council-owned land through collaboration with responsible bodies
• engage with partners and government on biodiversity net gain guidance and policy development

If local government reorganisation in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight goes ahead, this will have obvious repercussions for the council and its future planned work on biodiversity net gain. The council will work closely with its neighbouring councils to ensure a smooth transition to the new unitary authority, including encouraging it to adopt an approach to biodiversity net gain that reflects the council’s current priorities and ambitions across the area as closely as possible.

Appendix one: biodiversity net gain reporting from February 2024 to December 2025

Table 1 - Eligible planning permissions granted under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 requiring biodiversity net gain

Appendix one: biodiversity net gain reporting from February 2024 to December 2025

Table 2 - Overall expected gains and losses across all biodiversity gain plans approved in the reporting period

Appendix one: biodiversity net gain reporting from February 2024 to December 2025

Table 3 - Impact on irreplaceable habitat

Appendix one: biodiversity net gain reporting from February 2024 to December 2025

Table 4 - Location of off-site biodiversity units

Appendix one: biodiversity net gain reporting from February 2024 to December 2025

Table 5 - Results of monitoring biodiversity gains

Appendix one: biodiversity net gain reporting from February 2024 to December 2025

Table 6 - Composition of biodiversity gains - areas

Appendix one: biodiversity net gain reporting from February 2024 to December 2025

Table 7 - Composition of biodiversity gains - hedgerows and lines of trees

If you require a printed version of the report email the Biodiversity team.