New report calls on government to tighten BNG exemptions or risk “nature poverty” increase
New research by the Wildlife and Countryside Link warns that proposed Biodiversity Net Gain exemptions could result in a growing number of people living in “nature poverty”.
The report, funded by several environmental NGOs and ecological organisations, finds that 7.4 million people in England are currently living without immediate access to biodiversity such as green space, trees and wildlife, including 1.42 million children. In the most deprived 20% of neighbourhoods, almost a third have very limited access to biodiversity, measured using Natural England’s Accessible Green Space Standard, of a 300m straight-line buffer around qualifying biodiverse habitat. That is nearly three times the rate in the most affluent areas.
The research suggests that communities which are already the most nature-deprived will face the biggest impact from current and proposed exemptions to BNG rules. The report warns that this could result in deepening inequality and locking poorer communities out of the health, well-being and climate resilience benefits that nature provides, as well as potentially reducing access to important ecosystem services such as urban cooling, flood mitigation and cleaner air and water.
Earlier this year, the government introduced a blanket exemption from BNG rules for development sites under 0.2 hectares. The report suggests that this will impact the poorest communities the most, with 82% of planning applications in England’s most deprived local authorities currently under that size. The Wildlife and Countryside Link says that this exemption could result in the loss of biodiversity equivalent to almost 11,000 mature trees or 400 football pitches of wildflower meadow.
The report also highlights that the de minimis exemption, which relates to tiny developments with almost no impact on nature, however, the report suggests that the use of the exemption has become increasingly common. Between March 2024 and February 2025, the de minimis exemption accounted for 62% of all BNG exemptions and 57% of all planning applications in England. Use of the loophole also rose by 178% in the first year of mandatory BNG.
The government is also considering a new exemption for residential brownfield sites up to 2.5 hectares. Brownfield land is heavily concentrated in poorer communities, with the most deprived 20% of neighbourhoods containing 30.4% of England’s brownfield housing capacity, compared with just 8% in the wealthiest 20% of neighbourhoods.
The report says that, if brownfield developments are exempt from BNG, thousands of new homes could be built in already nature-poor areas without any duty to improve local biodiversity, which risks creating “urban ecological deserts”.
The report calls on the government to drop plans to introduce a 2.5-hectare brownfield exemption and tighten the de minimis loophole so it cannot be exploited. It also calls for the introduction of a statutory Equality Impact Assessment for all BNG frameworks, and for a commitment to not change BNG policy for a further five years. This will allow the impact of BNG on deprived communities to be fully assessed and analysed before any further exemptions could be introduced.
Without urgent action, the report warns that planning policy will continue to entrench inequality, leaving Britain’s poorest communities with poor access to the benefits of nature.
Richard Benwell, CEO at Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: “Nature should not be a luxury reserved for the wealthy. England’s poorest communities are already being left with the worst access to nature, and Biodiversity Net Gain loopholes are further exacerbating this problem.”
“If Ministers are serious about tackling inequality and improving people’s health, they must stop weakening nature protections and make sure every community benefits from greener, healthier places to live. If Ministers weaken these rules, it is ordinary people in poorer communities who lose out.”
Jason Reeves, head of policy at CIEEM, said: “Four in five planning applications in England’s most deprived areas already fall below the threshold for mandatory nature improvement. This report shows that the government’s proposed brownfield exemptions double down on that inequality: brownfield housing capacity is four times more concentrated in deprived areas than wealthy ones.”
“On the ground, this could mean hundreds of thousands of potential homes built where nature is already scarce, with no duty to improve it. CIEEM members see every day how nature-integrated development reduces flood risks, protects property values and brings positive health outcomes. Denying the nation’s poorest communities those benefits isn’t just bad for the environment, it risks undermining the government’s own housing ambition of safe and decent homes for all.”
Source: Show House
