UKHab and Biodiversity Net Gain

Course Details

What level of UKHab training is this course?

Advanced

Who is this course suitable for?

The course is aimed principally at consultant and local authority ecologists with some experience in habitat survey and assessment, principally in relation to development and land use planning.

Do I need to have used UKHab already?

Yes, participants should already have attended a UKHab Introductory Course. Some practical experience of BNG would also be useful but not essential.

What does the course cover?

The course focuses on the application of BNG in relation to development and land use planning in terrestrial habitats. It covers the design of baseline habitat surveys for BNG and discusses the feasibility and design of projects that have made a commitment to biodiversity net gain. The course will introduce environmental practitioners to the interface between the government’s Statutory Biodiversity Metric (2023) and UKHab v2.0. It makes specific reference to UK Good Practice Guidance, including CIEEM-CIRIA-IEMA Good Practice Principles for BNG, British Standard BS8683:2021 and the CIEEM BNG Report Templates.

Learning outcomes

• Gain further knowledge of the structure of UKHab Version 2.0 and its resources.
• Confidently identify and map UKHab using digital data and in the field.
• Understand the importance of survey planning and design.
• Understand approaches to habitat condition assessment and how this relates to habitat classification.
• Interpret UKHab data and how it relates to the Statutory Biodiversity Metric.
• Understand the limitations and constraints of BNG and how to report them.
• Understand how to prepare a UKHab and BNG Report for planning applications.
• Explore the use of UKHab for monitoring the delivery of BNG.

How is this course delivered?

This online course runs over two days. Each day consists of a 3-hour session starting at 10 a.m. Between the two sessions, participants will be asked to complete a short task, which should take about an hour.