United Utilities has awarded a contract for the purchase of Biodiversity Net Gain Units worth an estimated £485,000 (inc VAT).

Biodiversity Net Gain is a legal requirement placed on developers to either create and improve natural habitats on land subject to development, or to deliver the improvements elsewhere.

A transparency notice published by the water company says the biodiversity units are required to implement Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP) Park and Ride Planning Application.

In 2021 United Utilities submitted two planning applications to Ribble Valley Borough Council related to two consented schemes for the HARP Programme of Works.

However, the owners of Ribblesdale Cement Works subsequently informed United Utilities that the land previously set aside for the consented P&R / HGV facility was no longer available for the entire duration of the HARP works. This meant that in recent months, United Utilities has had to identify alternative potentially suitable locations for an Alternative P&R / HGV Facility. The water company submitted its detailed planning application for the alternative temporary park and ride and heavy goods vehicle marshalling area facility to the Council in March 2025.

Major HARP construction activities may not start until 2026, although some further site investigation works may be required before then.

The Alternative Facility would be a temporary feature which would be operational over a period of seven years. Once the HARP project has been built and commissioned in the Ribble Valley area, the Alternative Facility would be entirely dismantled and removed, and the land reinstated back to its former agricultural use.

The notice says the direct award was made to a single supplier for technical reasons in the absence of competition.

Earliest date the contract will be signed is 5 September 2025 – current estimated contract dates are 12 September 2025 to 30 November 2025.