Baldock | BNG Units in North Hertfordshire

Baldock is a registered Biodiversity Gain Site in North Hertfordshire providing off-site biodiversity units for developers seeking BNG units in Hertfordshire and the surrounding area. Located within North Hertfordshire Council and the East Anglian Chalk National Character Area, the site delivers grassland, scrub and hedgerow habitat units across medium and high distinctiveness categories to support off-site Biodiversity Net Gain requirements.

The habitat bank may also support developments in neighbouring authorities including Central Bedfordshire, Luton, South Cambridgeshire, East Hertfordshire, Stevenage, St Albans, Uttlesford and Welwyn Hatfield, subject to Biodiversity Net Gain trading rules, spatial risk considerations and project-specific assessment. With one of ILM's largest allocations of Lowland Calcareous Grassland units, Baldock is particularly well suited to developments requiring higher-distinctiveness chalk grassland habitats.

Key Facts

• BGS-Reference: BGS-100726002

• Local Planning Authority (LPA): North Hertfordshire Council

• National Character Area (NCA): East Anglian Chalk

• LNRS: Hertfordshire

• HMMP: Yes

• Legal Agreement: Section 106

• Status: Registered

• Total units (indicative): 148.15

Overview

Baldock is an ILM biodiversity gain site in North Hertfordshire, positioned within the East Anglian Chalk National Character Area. The habitat bank provides approximately 148.15 indicative biodiversity units across grassland, scrub and hedgerow habitats, supporting developments requiring off-site Biodiversity Net Gain throughout Hertfordshire and neighbouring areas.

The site delivers Other Neutral Grassland, Lowland Calcareous Grassland, Mixed Scrub and Species-Rich Native Hedgerow with Trees, generating units across medium and high distinctiveness categories.

Lowland Calcareous Grassland represents the site's key differentiator. This priority habitat can be challenging to source and makes Baldock particularly valuable for developments requiring higher-distinctiveness chalk grassland units where like-for-like replacement or trading up is required under the Biodiversity Metric.

An approved Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan is in place, the site is secured through a Section 106 agreement and is registered on the Biodiversity Gain Sites Register under reference BGS-100726002.

Units Available

Broad habitat	Habitat	Distinctiveness	Available units
Grassland	Other Neutral Grassland	Medium	105.93
Grassland	Lowland Calcareous Grassland	High	4.55
Heathland and scrub	Mixed Scrub	Medium	32.53
Hedgerow	Species-rich Native Hedgerow with Trees	High	5.14

Suitable For

• Developments requiring Lowland Calcareous Grassland units

• Projects seeking medium and high distinctiveness habitats

• Developments requiring grassland, scrub and hedgerow units

• Schemes within or near the East Anglian Chalk National Character Area

• Developments throughout Hertfordshire and neighbouring authorities

• Projects seeking registered off-site biodiversity units

Coverage

Baldock sits within North Hertfordshire and the East Anglian Chalk National Character Area, making it well placed to support developments across neighbouring planning authorities and landscape areas. Projects within the surrounding LPAs, NCAs and LNRS areas may also be able to utilise units from this habitat bank, subject to Biodiversity Net Gain trading rules, spatial risk and project-specific assessment.

Coverage

Neighbouring LPAs	Neighbouring NCAs	Neighbouring LNRS Areas
Central Bedfordshire	Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire Claylands	Bedfordshire
Luton	Chilterns	Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes
South Cambridgeshire	South Suffolk and North Essex Clayland	Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Uttlesford	The Brecks	Greater Essex
East Hertfordshire	The Fens	Greater London
St Albans
Stevenage
Welwyn Hatfield

BNG Suitability

Developers seeking BNG units in Hertfordshire may find Baldock particularly suitable where projects require Lowland Calcareous Grassland alongside grassland, scrub and hedgerow habitats. The site provides biodiversity units across medium and high distinctiveness categories, helping developers satisfy Biodiversity Net Gain trading rules where like-for-like replacement or trading up is required.

Its position within the East Anglian Chalk National Character Area may support developments located within the same NCA or neighbouring areas, subject to the latest statutory Biodiversity Metric guidance and project-specific assessment. As a registered habitat bank secured through a Section 106 agreement, Baldock provides developers with confidence that units are available through an established and legally secured off-site BNG solution.

Next Steps

Securing off-site BNG units for your development is straightforward. Confirm site suitability by getting in touch with the ILM team, who will check that the available units match your project's habitat and distinctiveness requirements. Once confirmed, units are allocated to your development and reserved ahead of Biodiversity Gain Plan submission. Early engagement is recommended to ensure suitable units are available for your project timeline.

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Explore related biodiversity gain sites:

If you're comparing habitat banks across Hertfordshire and neighbouring counties, you may also wish to explore Bedmond for additional Hertfordshire biodiversity units, Midloe Grange for mixed grassland and hedgerow habitats in neighbouring Cambridgeshire, or Bridge Farm for Lowland Meadows, Traditional Orchards and Wet Woodland units in neighbouring East Suffolk.

Last updated: September 2026