Many rivers to cross – The opportunities and pitfalls of development sites containing rivers and streams

Overview

Since January 2024, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has been a planning requirement across England. Under BNG, developers must provide an improvement in biodiversity, not only for the site areas but also for linear features, including watercourses within a project boundary even if they are not directly affected by the proposed development. 

This new requirement means that developments must undertake specific assessments to establish the quality of any watercourses ahead of the site development works. It also means that every development will need a Water Framework Directive (WFD) compliance assessment.

To assess and plan the necessary changes each development with a watercourse will need a River Condition Assessment (RCA) normally with a Modular River Physical Survey (MoRPh) to inform the necessary BNG and WFD compliance assessment as well as a WFD baseline assessment. 

In this Leading Minds session, we will outline what needs to be done, when it will be needed and what solutions you might need to deploy. We will also plumb the depth of how to best turn this new requirement into a benefit to the development and how it can be linked to other blue green infrastructure and SuDS initiatives while at the same time not allowing it to become a blocker that slows down the development as a whole.