EcoForm — BNG Report Generator

Project details

Existing habitats

Proposed habitats

Generate report

Project details

Enter the basic information about the development site and planning application.

Draft document notice: BioGain generates a draft Biodiversity Gain Plan to assist your workflow. All unit calculations, multipliers and trading rules must be verified against the DEFRA Metric 4.1 spreadsheet by a suitably qualified ecologist (MCIEEM or equivalent) before LPA submission.

Saved projects

Load a previous project or save your current inputs

Import from CSV

Upload a CSV with columns: Habitat Type, Area (ha), Condition — auto-populates existing habitats

Upload CSV

Site name / project title *

Planning reference (if known)

Applicant / developer name *

Local Planning Authority (LPA) *

Prepared by (ecologist / consultancy)

Report date

Development description

Brief description of proposed development *

Total site area (hectares) *

Development type

BNG metric version

Additional notes (constraints, designations, ecology context)

Your consultancy branding Pro

Upload your logo and it will appear on the report cover — so it looks like it came from your consultancy, not BioGain.

Consultancy logo

🏢

Click or drag to upload logo

PNG, JPG or SVG · Max 2MB · Transparent PNG works best

Consultancy address (for report footer)

Existing (pre-development) habitats

Add each distinct habitat type present on site before development. Use UKHab classification where possible.

Use the UK Habitat Classification (UKHab) system. For each habitat, enter the total area, condition, and distinctiveness as assessed during your Phase 1 survey. Condition should reflect the DEFRA metric condition assessment criteria.

Proposed (post-development) habitats

Add each habitat type that will be created or retained following development, including any habitat enhancements.

Include all habitats to be retained within the development footprint, plus any new habitat creation within the site or in the off-site gain area. Distinguish clearly between on-site and off-site gains.

Review & generate

Review your inputs before generating the Biodiversity Gain Plan.

Additional instructions for the report (optional)

Generating your Biodiversity Gain Plan

Applying DEFRA Metric 4.1 and BNG framework...

Processing habitat survey data
Calculating biodiversity unit scores
Applying gain hierarchy
Drafting planning language
Formatting report

Biodiversity Gain Plan

How it works — 4 steps

Enter your project details

Fill in the site name, applicant, Local Planning Authority, planning reference, and a description of the development. Upload your consultancy logo here — it appears on the final report so it looks like it came from you, not BioGain.

Tip: The more detail in the development description, the more accurate the report. Include nearby designations, constraints, or relevant ecological context.

Add your existing (pre-development) habitats

Add each distinct habitat type present on site before development. For each one, select the UKHab type, enter the area in hectares, and choose the distinctiveness and condition scores. Add as many habitat parcels as your survey identified.

Distinctiveness reflects the habitat's ecological value: Very High = 8 units/ha (e.g. lowland meadow), down to Very Low = 1 unit/ha (e.g. improved grassland).

Add your proposed (post-development) habitats

Add each habitat to be created or retained after development. For each one, select whether it is on-site or off-site. Include realistic target condition scores — the report will flag if 10% net gain is not achieved.

Remember: The biodiversity gain hierarchy requires on-site gains to be maximised before off-site gains. BioGain reflects this automatically in the report.

Review and generate

Check your inputs on the summary screen. Add any specific instructions — for example if the LPA has requested a particular section. Then hit Generate. The report usually takes 30–60 seconds.

Once generated: Use the Copy or Print/PDF buttons to export the report in your consultancy's branding.

What you get

A complete draft Biodiversity Gain Plan in formal planning language, referencing DEFRA Metric 4.1 — all 10 sections required by the LPA.

Executive summary

Planning policy context

Survey methodology

Pre-development baseline table

Post-development habitat table

Net gain calculation

Biodiversity gain hierarchy

30-year management outline

Legal mechanisms

Conclusion

Important — please read

BioGain produces a draft Biodiversity Gain Plan intended to accelerate your workflow — not replace your professional judgement. All outputs must be reviewed by a qualified ecologist before submission to an LPA. You are responsible for the accuracy of the survey data you enter.

Common questions

Which DEFRA metric does BioGain use?

BioGain uses DEFRA Metric 4.1, the current statutory metric required for all planning applications in England. You can also select Metric 4.0 or the Small Sites Metric in Step 1.

Can I use made-up data to test it?

Yes, absolutely. During beta testing feel free to use fictional or simplified data to explore what the tool produces. Just don't submit a report based on fictional data to an LPA.

What if the 10% net gain isn't met?

BioGain will flag this clearly in the report and advise on the additional gains needed to meet the statutory requirement.

Will my logo appear on the report?

Yes — upload a logo in Step 1 and it will appear in the top right of the report header. BioGain branding will not appear anywhere in the exported document.

How many reports do I get for free?

You get 3 free reports when you sign up, with no card required. After that you can upgrade to a paid plan starting at £149/month for unlimited reports.

Is my data stored anywhere?

The habitat data you enter is used to generate your report and is not stored after the report is produced. Your email address is stored to manage your account and free report allowance.

Ready to generate your first report?

Takes about 20 minutes. No card required for your first 3 reports.

Generate a BNG reportin under 20 minutes

How it works — 4 steps

Common questions

Generate a BNG report
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