How Kiss is approaching biodiversity net gain.
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During recent planning applications the Kiss team has found that Local Authorities are applying more stringent application of biodiversity and ecology policy to planning applications for all new builds — including those for single dwellings.
As you will learn if you read our BNG Q&A below, new laws were brought in during 2024 to ensure a minimum of 10% biodiversity net gain on small developments. The legislation does not apply to individual self-builds or small Custom Build schemes but as noted above we have found that Local Planners are nonetheless applying much more stringent application of policy across the board.
First and foremost we are approaching BNG requirements as a positive challenge and way to enhance all of our projects and to ensure greater connection between our customers and their outdoor space. As so perfectly expressed by Sir David Attenborough,
“The truth is: the natural world is changing. And we are totally dependent on that world. It provides our food, water and air. It is the most precious thing we have and we need to defend it.”
Our team has undertaken continuing professional development (CPD) training in biodiversity and ecology delivered by Sam Barker at Greengage Environmental, and has been working with a series of expert consultants to ensure our projects are focussed on delivering exceptional designs which enhance biodiversity and ecology. Examples include:
Lighting, glazing & roof design to support nocturnal species in Bath
At Cox’s Quarry the buildings are designed with minimal glazing extents on the majority of elevations, and features incorporated into the design to limit light spill from areas of more extensive glazing, include roof overhang and balustrades.
Eliminating light spill protects nocturnal species including bats which are present on site.
The Local Authority said “This is welcome and effective.”
Careful siting of the building in Surrey
At Long Ditton in Surrey, the Kiss team worked with ecology and arboricultural specialists to plan optimal placement of a Kiss House home. Being built as a backlands / back garden development in the garden of our customers’ existing home, we took great care to achieve the following:
Appropriate distance of build area away from a neighbouring badger sett
Positive relationship to existing trees / tree root areas
Subservience to existing home (to be sold)
Privacy in relation to all neighbouring properties
Preservation of the Cornwall National Landscape (AONB)
Our project in Cornwall is on the Roseland Peninsula an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) now knows as a National Landscape. The area is teeming with important flora and forna that needs to be protected, preserved and enhanced.
Species include Barn Owls, Atlantic Grey Seals, Waxwings and many others, plus an abundance of important hedgerows. It is critically important that new development supports biodiversity and ecology and does not negatively impact.
The Kiss team worked hard to design a replacement dwelling that would have zero negative impact. We paid particular attention to placement, size and massing, as well as ensuring all the sustainability features you’d expect from us were incorporated into the design.
We hope that the three examples provided have given an interesting insight into some of the work we are doing to support biodiversity and ecology. Do please drop us a line if you would like help with your project.
Planning Law has changed — Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
BNG has become a compulsory condition for achieving planning permission, applying to all major developments from January 2024 and smaller sites from April 2024
In an enlightening Q&A with Claudia Stephens from Urbanist Architecture, we delved into the critical topic of biodiversity net gain (BNG), a mandatory requirement in UK planning.
Through our discussion, Claudia shed light on the practical applications and challenges of implementing BNG in today's development landscape.
We’ve created a downloadable interview factsheet for you — simply click the image of the button below to download it.