New government plans reveal that developers will be allowed to build on woodland and open countryside areas if they pay a tariff to offset the damage and promote wildlife in other parts of the UK, according to The Times.

The wildlife offsetting scheme would see housebuilders paying a few hundred pounds per each new home to compensate for the damage caused. The value of the wildlife on the development site would be calculated using a government metric system to find the amount of ‘biodiversity units’ it was worth, the developers would then have to purchase 10 per cent more units than those that were destroyed to provide a biodiversity net gain.

Campaigners have complained because the new trees or improved wildlife areas do not have to be located anywhere near the destroyed site. Furthermore, the ‘compensatory habitat’ may not be permanent, with one option from the Government suggesting that it will be maintained for less than 25 years.

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→ The Times - Damage levy lets builders use woodland