7. Monitoring BNG Habitat Enhancements
Monitoring refers to the process of assessing whether habitat delivery is as planned and, where it is not, ensuring appropriate adaptive management procedures are implemented. EDDC has a statutory duty to provide effective monitoring and is essential to the robust implementation of BNG.
There are two types of monitoring:
- Direct Monitoring of individual habitats, i.e., habitat surveys to determine type and condition undertaken by ecologists in the field
- Indirect Monitoring, which is the tracking by LPAs of overall BNG delivery to verify if obligations are being met
Monitoring requirements must be detailed within the Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan and is the responsibility of the applicant. Monitoring requirements are still being developed and will include a fee secured by a planning obligation for certain scales of development. More information will be provided in due course.