Typical 1 ha greenfield end-to-end
Route A
On-site delivery
£35k-95k incl 30-yr mgmt
Route B
Off-site units
£45k-160k purchase
Route C
Statutory credits
£340k-2.6m floor (SRM x2)
Scoring matrix
- Cost: on-site cheapest where habitat creation is straightforward; off-site mid; statutory punitive.
- Planning acceptability: on-site preferred by LPA; off-site acceptable with registered units; statutory acceptable only as last-resort evidence.
- Speed: off-site fastest to consent (no condition-discharge dependency); on-site moderate (condition discharge over 30 years); statutory fastest at planning, slowest at financial outturn.
- Management liability: on-site retained by developer / landowner; off-site transferred to operator; statutory transferred to Defra.
Hierarchy change from 6 August 2026
The regulations in force since 6 August 2026 relax the biodiversity gain hierarchy for developments over 0.2 ha: a developer may now choose to go straight to off-site delivery in the first instance, rather than being required to exhaust on-site options first. On-site delivery remains generally preferred by LPAs on planning-acceptability grounds, but off-site is no longer a fallback of last resort before statutory credits. This confirms the route logic below.[S16]
Decision tree
Delta under 3 BU + low or medium distinctiveness + simple habitat creation: on-site. Delta over 3 BU, or high distinctiveness, or difficult habitat (Very High difficulty multiplier): off-site. Compelled trading-rule breach with no compliant supply: statutory.[S1]