Disclosure Log
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) Data (FOI/6087)
Message from Nottinghamshire County Council - 30 July 2025
Dear Requester,
Request FOI/6087
Further to your request received I confirm that the Council has now considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please provide the following data for the period from 12 February 2024 to the date of your response.
Planning Application Decisions:
- The total number of planning applications refused where failure to meet the statutory Biodiversity Net Gain requirement was a primary or contributing reason for refusal. None.
- The total number of planning applications that have been delayed or had a decision withheld pending the submission or approval of a satisfactory BNG plan. BNG plans are required to be submitted after a grant of planning permission, so they don’t themselves delay the determination of planning applications. The BNG plans we have had submitted post-determination have generally been okay. Regarding actual delays during the planning application process prior to determination, pretty much all of the applications we have had in (around 15 in total) have had issues with the submitted BNG documents and we have had to request further or modified information.
- For the applications delayed due to BNG requirements (as identified in question 1), what has been the average length of the delay, measured in weeks, from the initial target decision date This is difficult to answer because BNG is not the only issue which can lead to delays in determining planning applications. For those applications which we can identify that have only been delayed due to BNG, it usually leads to delays of 2-3 months whilst we wait for additional information to be submitted to review.
- The total number of enforcement actions or formal investigations the council has initiated related to non-compliance with BNG obligations on approved developments. None.
- The total number of financial penalties or fines that have been issued by the council for breaches of BNG requirements and the total monetary value (£) of these penalties. None.
- A list of the five most common reasons cited for delays in determining planning applications within your council since 12 February 2024. If possible, please indicate the percentage of total delays each reason accounts for, to help contextualise the impact of BNG relative to other factors. This is not something we keep a record of. As a minerals and waste planning authority, the applications we deal with can be complex impacting on numerous aspects of the environment. We therefore often have to ask applicants for additional information on a wide range of topics, such as impacts on ecology (including BNG), archaeology, listed buildings and conservation areas, rights of way, flood risk, noise, dust, and impacts from HGVs.
We hope you find this information useful.
The Council publishes Access to Information requests and responses on its online Disclosure Log. Only requests deemed to be in the public interest will be included and any request included within this log will be de-personalised accordingly.
To view the Council’s Disclosure Log, please visit our website.
If you have any queries about this email, please do not hesitate to contact us, quoting the reference number listed at the top of this letter in all communications.
If you are unhappy with the Council’s response to your request and wish to make a complaint or to request a review of the information provided, please write to us or complete the on-line complaint form that can be found on our website.
If after going through the Council’s Internal Review process you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Information Commissioner direct.
| Information Commissioner Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF | Helpline: Email: Website: | 0303 123 1113 01625 545 745 [email protected] www.ico.org.uk |
Yours sincerely
Freedom of Information
Complaints and Information Team
Chief Executives Department
Nottinghamshire County Council
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