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Planning, Infrastructure and Development

Forward planning and development management provide opportunities to maintain and enhance biodiversity, improve quality of life, and support adaptation to climate change.

Planning is the spatial tool that integrates social, economic, and environmental considerations. Suffolk has a strong track record of integrating biodiversity into the planning process, including through the Suffolk Biodiversity Validation Checklist, which is adopted by all Suffolk planning authorities. The checklist ensures that biodiversity is considered at the validation stage of planning applications, reducing delays and supporting better environmental outcomes.

The planning landscape has changed significantly in recent years. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) became mandatory for most planning applications in England in 2024, requiring developers to demonstrate a measurable improvement in biodiversity as part of the development process. The Norfolk and Suffolk Local Nature Recovery Strategy provides the strategic framework for where BNG and other biodiversity interventions can have the greatest local impact.

Using your biodiversity evidence base: SBIS provides biodiversity information to local authorities, Natural England, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, and a wide range of other stakeholders. Our datasets – covering County Wildlife Sites, species records, protected sites, priority habitats, and LiDAR-derived hedge and tree canopy data – are updated regularly and should be used to inform forward planning, sustainability appraisal, BNG baseline assessments, and land management decisions. Suffolk’s species dataset now holds over six million records, accessible via the NBN Atlas or by submitting a data request to SBIS.

Practical ideas

  • Identify sites for inclusion in your Local Green Infrastructure strategy that complement development allocations and protect ecologically sensitive areas.
  • Use SBIS data at the pre-application stage to identify ecological constraints and opportunities, reducing the risk of delay later in the planning process.
  • Seek biodiversity enhancements on all planning applications – green and brown roofs, native tree and plant planting, and habitat creation can all contribute to BNG requirements.
  • Ensure planning teams have access to ecological expertise, whether through in-house ecologists or external consultants, to make best use of the Suffolk Biodiversity Validation Checklist.