Scope
Projects requiring a Development Consent Order under the Planning Act 2008 are subject to BNG from 2 November 2026. Scope spans transport (road and rail), energy (generating stations, transmission), water (reservoirs, large-scale abstraction), and large waste-water facilities.[S9]
Transitional cases
Projects with a DCO application accepted before 2 November 2026 fall under transitional arrangements and are generally outside the new requirement. Pre-application engagement with PINS is the procedural moment to flag transitional status.
NSIP metric variant vs TCPA SBM
The NSIP variant runs the same JP039 core arithmetic; linear infrastructure (rail, road, transmission) carries bespoke provisions for proportional spatial risk and a project-specific Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMMP). The output unit definition is unchanged.
PINS pre-application expectation
PINS expects BNG strategy in the Statement of Common Ground at pre-application stage; submitting at examination is too late. Major NSIP applicants typically appoint a CIEEM-credentialed ecology lead alongside the planning lead at scoping.