Environmental Solutions for Sustainable Development

• Check that your development is impacted and use a calculator to work out your Nutrient Neutrality requirements. Then contact the Norfolk Environmental Credits Team who will match you to the best solutions for your project in your area. Visit the buying credits page for full details.

• It’s a legal standard set by the government which came into force for parts of Norfolk in March 2022, to address the impact of development on the environment and in certain water courses. It requires that development projects don’t have a detrimental impact on water quality. Norfolk Environmental Credits will help developers offset the impact of development on water quality. The map below will help you check if your development is impacted.

More about nutrient neutrality

• Your credits will support designated projects in Norfolk which reduce nitrogen and phosphorous levels in our rivers. With Norfolk Environmental Credits, developers can buy 0.1kg of phosphorus or nitrogen credits to mitigate the matching impact of each development. More detailed information will be provided when you apply.

In addition to buying credits, you need to act to minimise wastewater, surface water discharges and reduce water demand.  Other options would be to provide your own wastewater treatment through nature-based solutions. Your local planning department contacts can advise on opportunities to reduce the nutrient load, as well as other planning matters.

Norfolk Environmental Credits is in a position to invest in projects that reduce the nutrient load on our rivers. It can support the delivery of these projects through the purchase of the measurable nutrient reductions of phosphorous and nitrogen. This additional funding may help a currently unviable programme become viable. The next step is to contact the team so they can establish how Norfolk Environmental Credits can help. 

BNG units are not restricted to a single area and can be purchased across the UK (although additional costs may apply depending on distance). To buy BNG units through NEC, please complete the registration form on the Buying page.

From 2024, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) became a mandatory requirement, meaning all development sites were required to deliver a minimum 10% uplift in biodiversity. This approach ensures development contributes to the creation and enhancement of natural habitats. Where achieving this uplift on-site is not possible, following the biodiversity gain hierarchy, developers can meet the requirement by purchasing off-site biodiversity units through the offsite BNG market.