How the historic environment can be included in BNG, and why it matters
Free and open to all.
The introduction of statutory Biodiversity Net Gain for developers in England is a clear move to ensure the natural world is left in a better state than it was before development begins. But how does this affect the historic environment? This talk will explore this question, using the results of Oxford Archaeology's recent Historic England funded research project. It will outline the degree to which historic and archaeological sites are currently being considered in BNG, what possible impacts habitat creation could have on them, and what opportunities they offer for better, more biodiverse futures.
Our speaker
Dr Nick Overton is a Project Officer at Oxford Archaeology, one of the UK's leading archaeological fieldwork organisations. He works on a range of projects related to archaeology and nature recovery, including Biodiversity Net Gain, Rewilding and Landscape Recovery. Before this role, Nick was a lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Manchester, where he taught archaeological practice, zooarchaeology, European prehistory and human-environment relationships in the past. He is passionate about exploring how our understanding of the past, and the physical remains that make up archaeological sites can make positive contributions to nature recovery.
BNG in Practice
This event is part of the BNG in Practice Series, run by our Environmental Policy Implementation Community. Find out more about other events in the series.
About EPIC
The Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC) is a member-led, specialist interest group at the IES. The community works together to understand delivery challenges, support pracitioners and advocate for implementation-minded policy. Our members are local authority officers and others delivering action on air quality, climate change, nature recovery, contaminated land and noise pollution on the ground.
Membership of EPIC is free to all IES members, and all environmental professionals working in local authorities. You can register for membership here. EPIC members working in contaminated land in local authorities will also be able to join the National Contaminated Land Officers Group (NCLOG).
Image credit: Nick Beer via Adobe Stock
