If you are looking to meet the BNG application requirements that are taking effect February 12, clicking on the AiDash BNG compliance portal — BNGAI — was a good call. Here, you’ll find information about BNG requirements and updates, and getting started on your own BNG applications.

AiDash can help you to streamline and speed the process, saving time and resources. Below is a snapshot of steps and challenges of the application process and how AiDash can get you through it all, quickly and accurately.

Step 1. Conduct preliminary baseline assessment.

The first step is to take a preliminary survey of your intended development site’s indicative biodiversity value and produce a biodiversity baseline and habitat map. For the survey, AiDash draws from a current high-resolution satellite image and other available resources, such as aerial imagery, as well as public and licensed data layers. This information is then compiled to produce a preliminary baseline map and record which you can access via the portal to:

AiDash BNGAI: AiDash’s AI technology defines land parcel boundaries and classifies land consistent with Statutory Biodiversity Metric specifications and with high precision. The back-end database quickly populates records with public and licensed datasets — defining your habitat map and adding key designations and significance data. An automated preliminary survey report provides the BNG valuation using assumed condition levels to provide an indicative value. You can use the map and report to quickly assess the risks and opportunities for development and provide the initial stage of assessment prior to a site visit.

Start your submission here.

Step 2. Generate BNG baseline report.

A competent person — i.e., your ecologist or an ecologist working with AiDash — must visit your site to make sure reporting is refined and updated with habitat condition information and the map is verified.

AiDash BNGAI: The portal can ingest all related data reports, keeping all the related material in one central location, and you can assign and share information with your preferred ecologists. AiDash Biodiversity Net Gain Management System (BNGAI) provides a mobile app, so the ecologist can easily transfer information (map and all habitat data) to the field for verification, use the built-in condition assessment, add target notes and images to capture all the related information, and compile it in the portal — saving time and lots of paper shuffling.

Plus, the portal will digest all the collected data to finalise an accurate biodiversity baseline value and support the production of a biodiversity baseline report (using inbuilt templates). Although much of the process saves time using our state-of-the-art BNGAI software tool, your ecologist’s insight will be vital. AiDash simply speeds the legwork to free your ecologist to guide interpretation and reporting.

Start your submission here.

Step 3. Consider post-development scenarios.

Your architect will typically be creating your development plans showing structures, roadways, and other elements design programs, such as AutoCAD. The post-intervention design will illustrate changes your plans make to the habitat. That information must be reconciled with the biodiversity baseline report and map you have just created. The object is to show what areas of biodiversity/habitat your development will be eliminating and where you can plan to restore or boost biodiversity to ensure you meet the statutory 10% BNG requirement.

AiDash BNGAI: The portal is set up to accept various architecture software applications and consider the biodiversity baseline map. In fact, you can position the architectural elements on top of the map to view exactly how the development will affect the habitat. Edits to both can be made in real time to visualise the changes to alleviate BNG losses. The portal comes equipped with several planning tools, so you can test how your plans may impact habitats. The features have been designed to simplify this process and make it easy to produce a “what if” scenario in minutes. Several scenarios can be generated and saved, providing options as you finalise designs.

Start your submission here.

Step 4.Create post-development BNG action plan.

An ecologist will need to approve all your BNG plans to support an application, including your strategy for meeting BNG mandates. These approved elements are combined to form your post-development BNG action plan.

As you work to compensate for biodiversity loss and achieve 10%BNG, you have three options:

When you’ve determined your direction, and your ecologist has signed off on all application components, the work must be submitted to your local planning authority.

AiDash BNGAI: We provide the tools you need for BNG planning. We will also provide an ecologist who will have access to the tools and your reports to help you ensure accuracy for your application and a successful submission.

Step 5. Produce submission-ready files.

Your local planning authority may require a few edits to your application before your final submission. Along with those updates, you will be responsible for providing evidence to support your plan to ensure biodiversity net gain is progressing in accordance with your approved BNG application over the subsequent 30-year period.

The BNGAI platform is set up to generate reports as you need them throughout the application process, including shapefiles that present your site before and after development, as well as monitoring reports after BNG application approval.

AiDash BNGAI: BNGAI provides a record retention system that stores your whole history of pre and post development as well as monitoring records and acts as a live audit record. You can share information at any time and with any stakeholder. No additional licenses are required. It’s your data to manage how you see fit.

The BNGAI portal is active for as long as you need it. It can provide you with alerts to pending actions, track the progress from monitoring activities, and continually add information over time to show compliance with planned obligations. Furthermore, AiDash can undertake additional mapping surveys at pre-scheduled times in the future to show how the habitats have evolved.

Start your submission here.

Step 6. You’re ready to submit!

From your BNG plan, metric calculations, and condition assessments to post-development mapping and your final habitat management plan, your BNG application requires that you compile a bevy of reports to submit to your local planning authority.

Thanks to the BNGAI application process you are ready! Simply download your files and submit them to your LPA.

AiDash BNGAI: Use BNGAI to collate all related material and, after a final BNG post-intervention plan has been developed, your ecologist can use reporting templates with pre-populated data, imagery, maps, and so forth to develop the necessary reports. The portal can automatically produce results from the Statutory Biodiversity Metric calculation tool (an Excel report) for the development plan.

Start your submission here.