Unlocking Biodiversity Potential Across Newcastle-under-Lyme's Landholdings

As Biodiversity Net Gain becomes an increasingly important part of the planning system, local authorities are exploring how their land assets can play a greater role in supporting nature recovery while creating long-term environmental value. To help inform its approach, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council commissioned TEP to assess the Biodiversity Net Gain potential across approximately 500 Council-owned landholdings.

Using bespoke desk-based software the project sought to establish a robust baseline of biodiversity value, identify opportunities for habitat enhancement and provide strategic recommendations on how the Council could utilise its land assets to support the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain.

Bringing Diverse Expertise Together

Projects of this scale demand more than a single-specialism approach. By drawing on expertise from across our in-house ecology, geospatial, landscape management and planning and landscape assessment teams, we delivered an integrated assessment that combined environmental evidence, spatial analysis and strategic insight, helping the Council identify opportunities and make informed decisions about future land management with confidence.

Using HabiTEP®, TEP's bespoke GIS modelling tool, the team undertook a large-scale desktop habitat assessment across the Council's estate. Developed by our in-house geospatial specialists, HabiTEP® utilises Ordnance Survey and open-source datasets to estimate baseline habitats and assign UKHab classifications, producing outputs compatible with Biodiversity Net Gain assessment methodologies. This enabled the project team to filter, prioritise and assess sites with the greatest potential to deliver meaningful biodiversity uplift while maintaining a high degree of confidence in the results.

Identifying Opportunities for Habitat Banking

Working collaboratively with the Council, we reviewed and refined habitat assessments and biodiversity metric calculations to identify those sites most suitable for future biodiversity enhancement.

The study explored the practical, operational and strategic considerations associated with establishing Council-owned habitat banks (Registered Off-Site Biodiversity Gain Sites).

This included reviewing:

• Governance arrangements
• Delivery mechanisms
• Registration requirements
• Long-term management responsibilities
• Financial and operational considerations



The resulting recommendations provided the Council with a clear understanding of the opportunities available and the steps required to establish and manage habitat banking initiatives across its landholding portfolio.

Supporting Informed Decision-Making

An important element of the project was the creation of an interactive web-mapping platform that enabled effective collaboration between the Council and our team.

The platform allowed users to visualise:

• Land ownership information
• Existing habitat conditions
• Biodiversity unit values
• Existing management and tenancy arrangements
• Potential biodiversity uplift opportunities

By bringing complex environmental and spatial information together in an accessible format, the platform provided a valuable tool to support informed strategic decision-making.

Delivering a Robust Evidence Base

The study has provided Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council with the evidence base needed to evaluate the future role of Council-owned land in Biodiversity Net Gain delivery.

As local authorities continue to navigate evolving environmental policy and increasing demand for biodiversity units, projects such as this demonstrate the value of combining environmental expertise, data analysis and practical delivery advice to identify opportunities for nature recovery at scale.

TEP delivered a high-quality BNG assessment across Council-owned land, supported by a clear report and intuitive web-based tool. Their understanding of the brief, timely delivery, and professionalism were impressive throughout.

- Service Director (Planning), Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council

Planning for Biodiversity Net Gain?

Whether you're exploring habitat banking opportunities, assessing landholdings or developing a wider Biodiversity Net Gain strategy, our multidisciplinary teams work together to provide integrated advice, helping clients navigate challenges and identify opportunities at every stage of the process.

Contact our team to find out how we can help deliver your environmental objectives.