The results of DEFRA’s May 2025 BNG consultation indicate the pendulum is swinging towards the loosening up of the hierarchy, see our comments about this here. However, the market is still only steering purchasers to first try and find the units they need for their development in the same LPA/NCA (soon to be LNRS) without also looking nationally at far cheaper alternatives (where vendors are prepared to trade across borders and are currently bearing the spatial weighting (SRM) themselves). These competitive prices are one reason why we have such a high rate of success selling to purchasers, at over 70% of those who approach us and continue to be the “go to” broker to sell with.
Set out below are some of the TCS units available from all over England comparing them with the lowest prices advertised on Gaia BNG Marketplace and reported by Biodiversity Units UK. Further TCS discounts can also be available depending on lot size and the ‘bundle’ of the different habitats needed.
To illustrate the current ‘two-tier’ market go to Gaia BNG Marketplace and change the filter button in the top right from ‘Relevance’ to ‘Price: low to high’. This will bring the cheapest prices nationally to the top of your screen, you will see that at the moment, the top 12 are TCS sites. The average price differential for area and hedgerow habitats as listed below between the advertised prices of TCS and the next lowest on Gaia is £7,300 and on Biodiversity Units UK is £16,000 cheaper per unit. For some habitats TCS is £37,800 cheaper.
To ensure purchasers obtain the most reasonable prices on Gaia from the national market, search first by habitat type and not region, LPA or NCA. Let us know what you are after and we will confirm whether this is one of our vendors who will bear the SRM, meaning the asking price will remain the overall cost of the developer receiving these units “delivered to the development site.
There has been a debate on LinkedIn following our post “BNG – Are developers overpaying for units” with Tim Graham from RSK and others on his feed. There are many reasons why our vendors are happy to sell at these prices. They have our professional presale advice as their project consultants or exclusively as their broker selling their units, about the 30 plus year costs of monitoring, creation /improvement and maintenance, as well as preparing budgets taking account of the whole project cost including set up costs, income foregone and treasury benefits as well as other estate issues and tax.
To read the current debate from LinkedIn about this click here.
Please contact Hugh Townsend or David Marrow on bng@townsendcharteredsurveyors.co.uk or 01392 823935 for more information about TCS units.