Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is an approach to development that aims to leave the natural environment in a better state than it was beforehand. In 2023 BNG is expected to become a mandatory requirement for all development in England and some local authorities already have their own policies in place.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has partnered with developer Mount Anvil to publish a new set of metrics in response to the declining state of habitats for pollinators in growing cities. This blueprint is split into four parts, as follows:

1. Pollinator food resource score This score seeks to evaluate the quantity and quality of food resources (pollen and nectar, larval food plants) available for pollinators.
2. Pollinator habitat score This will be used to measure the different types of habitats within a site which are beneficial to a variety of pollinator species.
3. Site management Understanding site management is a critical function of these measurements. Reduction of herbicides and insecticides on site will prove beneficial for all pollinator species as well as other insects which support biodiversity. Keeping designated habitats curated by reducing mowing on parts of the site will help achieve this goal, as will a designated annual site review to assess if the above criteria are being met.
4. Engagement with residents A final component seeks to measure the integration of education around biodiversity within the local community.

These new metrics have been put into practice at The Verdean in Acton (pictured top) which will bring over 1,200 new homes to west London. Over a third of the six-acre development site is landscaped green space, with a series of courtyard gardens, a woodland park and an eco-walk, all designed in partnership with Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.

The next phase of the development, The Aster (pictured below) is now available for sale and we expect it to have huge appeal to a wide range of purchasers looking for the west London lifestyle with great transport connections across the capital – and an eye for nature.

Further information

Contact Amy Davis and Lucy Greenwood

Contact Savills London Residential Development