#PlanningConsultants

BNG update: Government moves to simplify rules for smaller sites

The Government has announced proposed changes to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) that should make the system simpler and more workable for smaller developments. The changes, published on 15 April 2026, are aimed at reducing unnecessary cost, delay and complexity, particularly on minor residential schemes. The most significant proposal is a new exemption for sites of 0.2 hectares or less. In practice, this could remove BNG requirements from around half of residential planning appl

TP Editorial Team

Apr 232 min read

Planning committee reform: a significant shift in who decides planning applications

The Government’s new draft guidance on planning committees, published on 26 March 2026, points to a major change in how planning decisions may be made in England. The core idea is straightforward: more routine and technical decisions should be made by officers, with planning committees focusing only on genuinely significant proposals. The most notable practical change is that familiar local mechanisms such as ward member call-ins and committee referral based purely on objec

TP Editorial Team

Mar 301 min read