Northumberland environmental consultancy to double workforce and open new office

An environmental consultancy has seen a surge in demand for its services in response to new legislation mandating Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) on all new infrastructure and development projects, amidst plans to double its workforce and open a second office in the South East of England.

Established in 2019, Northumberland based Biodiverse Consulting specialises in supporting companies working in the built environment sector to deliver responsible development, as well as helping them meet their BNG requirements.

Following the passing of the Environment Act 2021 that states biodiversity net gain (BNG) is now a legal requirement for developers in order for them to secure planning permission, founder, Vicki Mordue, has been “inundated with enquiries”.

Its aim is to marry biodiversity with business, helping protect wildlife and habitats. It also delivers environmental assessments for large and small scale development projects, working with leading companies including Dysart Developments, Taylor Wimpey North Yorkshire, Gleeson Regeneration, Pegasus, and a number of Wildlife Trusts.

Vicki explained: “I knew that biodiversity net gain was going to have a big impact on our environment when I started the consultancy - hence the name. It’s a very important part of the Environment Act and will help to restore habitat loss if it is implemented correctly.

“The number of enquiries we have received in relation to BNG has been phenomenal and it’s heartening to see developments being planned the right way. Having worked in the environmental consultancy space for over 20 years, we’re experts at what we do and we simply need more team members to meet demand.

“We currently have a core team of seven and are recruiting for four new roles. We are looking to grow to 14 by the end of the quarter and are on the hunt for ecologists of all levels to help support the business and clients alike.

Looking to the future, VIcki has bold ambitions for the consultancy, adding: “We love being based in the North East and will always have our head office here but by the end of the year, the plan is to open a sister office in the South East and have around 20 people employed in total. It’s a very exciting time.”