Off-Site BNG Units in Leicestershire
A woodland-focused habitat bank in development at Nethercote Woodland, North West Leicestershire.
We welcome preliminary enquiries from developers, ecologists and planning consultants seeking off-site biodiversity units.
Our proposals focus on woodland restoration and enhancement, with potential wet woodland and wetland habitats. Share your development location and BNG requirement so we can discuss whether the project could be a suitable match.
Unit types, quantities and delivery timescales are not yet confirmed. Units are not currently available for purchase or allocation.
A woodland-focused habitat bank
Fire & Stars is developing proposals to restore and enhance established woodland affected by ash dieback, improve habitat diversity and support long-term nature recovery.
The proposed approach includes broadleaved woodland enhancement, a more varied woodland structure and potential wet woodland and wetland habitats.
The ecological assessment and statutory biodiversity metric will establish which habitat types and biodiversity units the project can offer.
Could woodland units suit your development?
Woodland units are not only relevant to developments that lose woodland. Depending on habitat type and distinctiveness, they may meet some other area-habitat requirements, or provide additional net gain after all habitat-loss trading rules have been satisfied.
However, woodland units cannot replace every grassland deficit, and area habitat units cannot replace hedgerow or watercourse units.
Share your Biodiversity Metric, habitat trading summary or ecology report so we can discuss potential compatibility.
Enquiries welcome from across the Midlands
Our location in North West Leicestershire may make the proposed habitat bank relevant to developments beyond the district.
We welcome enquiries from across Leicestershire and the wider Midlands, including projects around Leicester, Coventry and Birmingham. Each enquiry will be assessed individually rather than assuming that every development in a named area is eligible.
Current spatial multipliers for terrestrial area habitat units
| Relationship between the development and relevant off-site habitat | Multiplier |
|---|---|
| Same local planning authority or National Character Area | 1.00 |
| Neither is shared, but a relevant authority area or National Character Area is neighbouring | 0.75 |
| Outside both the same and neighbouring areas | 0.50 |
The multiplier affects the units credited to a development, not a percentage discount on price. The relevant habitat parcels and development boundary must be checked.
Based on current statutory metric guidance, checked September 2026. Applicable rules will be reviewed when assessing your requirement.
Restoring a woodland affected by ash dieback
Fire & Stars is developing a long-term woodland restoration and Biodiversity Net Gain project at Nethercote Woodland, near Newton Burgoland.
The woodland was planted in 2005. Some areas have developed successfully, while significant compartments are now in poor ecological condition because of severe ash dieback, low structural diversity and the limitations of the original plantation design.
Our aim is to replace failing ash-dominated areas with a healthier mix of native trees, shrubs, woodland edges, glades and wet habitats, supported by careful management for at least 30 years.
The project is in development. Biodiversity units are not yet available for purchase or allocation.
From decline to recovery
Current condition
- Ash-dominated plantation
- Severe ash dieback
- Limited species diversity
- Declining canopy
Restoration work
- Remove dead and failing ash
- Retain valuable habitat features
- Replant a diverse native mix
- Create glades, edges and understorey
Future woodland
- More diverse tree species
- Improved woodland structure
- Greater resilience
- Long-term habitat management
Established woodland in the heart of the National Forest
Nethercote Woodland lies near Newton Burgoland and is positioned to support local habitat improvement in North West Leicestershire and the wider East Midlands.
of woodland overall
within the National Forest
in significant compartments
proposed management period
Benefits beyond biodiversity units
Resilient woodland
A wider mix of native trees and shrubs, reducing reliance on a single species.
Improved wildlife habitat
More varied canopy, understorey, edges, glades, deadwood and wet habitats.
Long-term management
A defined programme of establishment, monitoring and habitat management lasting at least 30 years.
Local nature recovery
Biodiversity improvements delivered within the National Forest and close to local development.
From assessment to available biodiversity units
The project remains in development. These are the stages required, not a record of completed milestones. Habitat uplift must be evidence-led, deliverable and properly secured.
Assess baseline habitats and condition.
Calculate existing value and proposed uplift.
Agree proposed restoration measures.
Prepare the 30-year HMMP.
Agree the appropriate legal mechanism.
Enter the gain site on the register.
Match confirmed units to suitable developments.
Who we work with
Developers
Developments that cannot deliver their full BNG requirement on-site.
Ecologists
Consultancies looking for suitable off-site units for client projects.
Planning Consultants
Teams identifying BNG solutions during pre-application and planning work.
Land Agents & Development Consultants
Advisers managing land, planning and development projects.
BNG Brokers & Marketplaces
Organisations looking to establish relationships with local habitat banks.
How it works
Tell us about your development
Send us the location and the BNG requirement you currently understand.
We assess potential suitability
Once habitat types and units are confirmed, we can assess whether they may match your development and the trading rules.
Discuss availability
Suitable projects can discuss unit availability, timescales and commercial terms.
Formal allocation
Any eventual sale and allocation will be completed through the appropriate legal and statutory processes.
Developed with ecological rigour
Fire & Stars is working with professional ecological advisers to assess the site, design the habitat restoration programme and prepare the long-term management required for an off-site BNG habitat bank. Final unit types and quantities will be confirmed through the statutory biodiversity metric and supporting ecological work.
Project questions
Are units available now?
Not yet. We are welcoming preliminary enquiries while the ecological assessment, habitat proposals and arrangements for the habitat bank are developed. We are not currently offering units for purchase or allocation.
Can I enquire before my Biodiversity Metric is final?
Yes. Send your development location and the information you currently have. Your exact unit requirement and supporting documents can follow later.
What happens after I enquire?
We will review the information you provide and discuss the project’s potential relevance to your requirement. Any eventual agreement would depend on confirmed habitat types, unit quantities, delivery arrangements and the necessary approvals.
Does replacing trees lost to ash dieback automatically create saleable BNG units?
No. Required restocking is not automatically eligible BNG uplift. The assessment must establish what additional, eligible biodiversity improvements the project can deliver beyond existing obligations.
How many units could the project generate?
The final number and types of units will be confirmed through the statutory biodiversity metric and supporting ecological work. No fixed quantity is being advertised at this stage.
Where is the proposed habitat bank?
At Nethercote Woodland near Newton Burgoland, within North West Leicestershire and the National Forest. The registered gain-site boundary has not yet been confirmed.
Can the units be used for any development?
No. Suitability depends on habitat type, trading rules, spatial risk and the development’s requirements. Each enquiry will be assessed individually.