What consideration has the Welsh Government given to the introduction of a mandatory net biodiversity gain on all new developments in Wales?
Future Wales and Planning Policy Wales (PPW), set out our approach to net benefit for biodiversity. This is a long-standing nature conservation principle, first introduced in Technical Advice Note 5 (Development and Nature Conservation) in 2009 and then elevated to PPW in 2018 which requires biodiversity enhancements in all development.
Unlike net biodiversity gain, our net benefit for biodiversity policy reflects the ambition that we have in Wales to maintain and enhance all biodiversity, and move away from the presumption that we can damage biodiversity at will or just mitigate for its damage or loss.