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Lambeth, London

Biodiversity net gain plans in Lambeth

Lambeth says in plain words that a biodiversity net gain plan is required for all applications unless the scheme is exempt from the mandatory gain. For a new home or flat block that is not exempt, the plan must show the site finishing at least 10 per cent better than it began. We prepare it on a fixed quote after a free constraints check.

Fixed quote after a free constraints check

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    Architectural model of a four-storey London stucco townhouse in its terrace, with a portico, area railings, sash windows, a cornice and chimney stacks
    The house as it stands: four storeys over a lower ground floor.Existing Proposed worksAn illustrative model, built for this page.

    How we work on biodiversity net gain plans

    Seven steps from first call to approval.

    The same model cut through the middle: every floor, the stair, the chimney breasts, the new mansard, rear extension and basement in section
    Section through the model: every floor on one datum.

    1. Enquiry and constraints check

      We check the property against conservation areas, listed status, Article 4 directions, tree preservation orders, flood zone and planning history. We choose the right route and send a fixed quote.

    2. Measured survey

      We survey the house on one datum: rooms, levels, boundaries, drains, trees and the neighbours' windows that the 45° and 25° tests depend on.

    3. Design options

      We model the house in Revit and show you options in 3D and plan, with the planning strategy and the precedents in your street.

    4. Design frozen

      You choose an option in writing. Nothing changes after this without your say.

    5. Independent check

      A second chartered technologist checks every sheet against the council's validation checklist and the policy. A senior review signs it off before anything is submitted.

    6. Submission

      We prepare the forms, certificates, fee and documents and submit through the Planning Portal.

    7. Officer liaison

      We answer the planning officer and make any amendments within five working days, at no charge until approval.

    Free redraws until approval. Every drawing set is checked independently, and the checker is never the person who drew it.

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    Rows of brick terraced houses and gardens on a residential street

    What Lambeth asks for under its local list

    The council sets out the requirement as Statutory 10%; 1 km / 1 year data search. The plan must use the current version of the Biodiversity Metric and state which version and publication date it used, and the Local Plan policy on biodiversity applies alongside it.

    The search detail deserves attention. The biodiversity data search must cover at least the stated radius and be no older than the stated age, so a desktop search bought for an earlier, abandoned scheme will not serve. We order a fresh search when a job starts and note the date on the plan.

    We also state the metric version on the first page of the calculation. A metric that quotes an out-of-date version is a simple reason for an officer to send a file back.

    If a data search returns records of a protected species within the radius, we say so in the plan and carry the finding into the design brief. A bat record on a street of Victorian roofs, for example, changes what we can propose on a loft, and it is better to learn that before an application than during it.

    Georgian brick terrace with sash windows, arched fanlight doorways, stone steps and iron railings in London

    Local figures for Lambeth

    Figures with their unit, period and source
    MeasureValuePeriodSource
    Local List item 16: a BNG Plan is required for all applications unless exempt from the mandatory 10% obligation; it must use the current Biodiversity Metric and state the metric version and publication date. Lambeth Local Plan Policy EN4(D) also applies. The biodiversity survey data search must cover at least 1 km radius and be no more than 1 year old.Statutory 10%; 1 km / 1 year data search—lambeth.gov.uk, Lambeth Local Information Requirements (the Local List) 2024, items 15-16, PDF p.23-24 (printed p.22-23)
    Households living in a house24.8 % of households living in a house or bungalow (detached, semi-detached or terraced)Census 2021nomisweb.co.uk
    Domestic gardens share of land (GLUD 2005)26 % of land that is domestic garden (GLUD 2005)2005data.london.gov.uk
    Tree preservation orders339 tree preservation orders published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Tree preservation zones226 tree preservation zone polygons published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Conservation areas64 named conservation areas published by the council—planning.data.gov.uk
    Minor applications granted79.9 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Minor application decisions748 decisions1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Householder applications granted83.4 %1 July 2025 - 30 June 2026assets.publishing.service.gov.uk
    Environment Act 2021 Sch 14 para 2, inserting Sch 7A TCPA 1990: 'relevant percentage' 10%10 %—legislation.gov.uk
    Sch 7A para 9(3) as inserted: enhancement maintained for at least 30 years after completion30 years—legislation.gov.uk

    A blank value means the figure has not been published, not that there are none. Check your own address with the council.

    Councils bordering Lambeth
    Which application your project needsLawful Development Certificate decision: 8 weeks. Prior approval decision: 42 days. Householder decision: 8 weeksYour projectWithin permitted development?Lawful Development CertificatePrior approvalHouseholder applicationYesLarger rear extensionNoABC

    Which application your project needs

    The usual route for a house; flats and listed buildings follow other rules.

    A · Lawful Development Certificate decision
    8 weeks
    B · Prior approval decision
    42 days
    C · Householder decision
    8 weeks

    A dense borough with protected trees and gardens

    Only 24.8 per cent of households live in a house, yet gardens still make up 26 per cent of land. The borough records 339 tree preservation orders and 226 preservation zones, so trees are rarely absent from a site of any size.

    Most Lambeth projects, such as rear extensions and loft conversions on the borough's Victorian terraces, are householder cases and exempt. The plan is needed where a new dwelling is built in a back garden, a yard or on a former garage site, or where a flat block replaces a low building.

    Heritage adds a layer: the borough has 64 conservation areas, so planting and roof proposals made to earn the gain must also suit the street.

    Lambeth's tree count has a practical consequence for a rear-garden scheme: a protected tree on a neighbour's land can still shade the plot and limit what the new habitat can be. We note canopy and root zones on the baseline plan so the proposed planting is realistic about light.

    How we calculate and draw the gain

    We survey each parcel, grade its condition and calculate the baseline with the current metric. A typical Lambeth scheme then reaches the gain through a biodiverse roof, new street trees where permitted, climbers on boundary walls and a planted rear strip.

    Each of these appears on a landscape sheet with units tied to the calculation. Our new build drawings include the roof build-up, so the officer sees the soil depth and planting layer that make the units real.

    The gain must be maintained for at least 30 years, and we write maintenance notes that a managing agent can follow without us.

    Street trees are only possible where the highway authority agrees, so we treat them as a bonus and not a core unit. The calculation should still reach the gain without them, which keeps the plan safe if a highways consent is refused.

    Decision record and timing

    Minor applications in Lambeth are granted 79.9 per cent of the time across 748 decisions, with 92.5 per cent decided in time. Householder grants stand at 83.4 per cent, which is another reason not to leave ecology to chance.

    An application whose plan is missing is not valid, so it cannot start the clock. We prepare the plan with the drawings, and where the answer is an exemption we record that on the form. For the wider set, see our planning drawings and flat conversion drawings.

    A second chartered technologist checks the metric against the landscape sheet before anything is issued. The person who built the calculation is never the person who signs it off.

    Price and next step

    We do not set a list price. The work follows the number of habitat parcels and whether off-site units are needed, so you get a fixed quote after a free constraints check.

    Send the address and what you plan to build. We will say whether Lambeth treats it as exempt, and if not, what the plan and the data search must contain.

    What you receive

    Planning drawing sheet for a rear extension with plans, elevations and sections
    Sample drawing. Planning drawings for a rear extension: plans, elevations and sections on one sheet set.
    Brick cottage with a tiled roof, chimneys and a front dormer window
    The street around you
    Move across the plinth — the blocks rise around the pointer.

    Other services in Lambeth

    Biodiversity net gain plans nearby

    Questions

    Does Lambeth require a BNG plan for every application?

    Its local list says a plan is required for all applications unless exempt from the mandatory gain.

    Can I reuse an old ecology data search?

    Not if it is older than the council allows. The local list sets a maximum age and a minimum search radius.

    Is a loft conversion exempt in Lambeth?

    Yes, householder works are exempt, though the form must state why.

    What net gain must a new Lambeth home deliver?

    At least 10 per cent, maintained for at least 30 years.

    Sources and dates

    City of London skyline glowing at dusk across the Thames under a dramatic orange sky

    Tell us about your property.

    We check the constraints, then send a fixed fee. Messages before 3pm get a reply the same working day.

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