East Lancashire's six boroughs could see major nature gains from a new planning requirement around the environment for new developments.

The rule ensuring that major schemes show a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) before being approved has been estimated to provide the equivalent of 677 football pitches of saved or created natural habitat across Lancashire each year.

A total of 338 of those will be in Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale boroughs.

The estimate comes in a study of local authority planning decision data by digital adviser Joe’s Blooms.

This impact is down to BNG, a new planning policy requiring developers in England to invest in measures in their development’s local area that will increase biodiversity by 10 per cent to secure planning permission.

These measures include planting wildflowers or creating a woodland.

Local planning authorities will play a central role in delivering BNG, responsible for ensuring developers meet the biodiversity uplift.

This research estimates in Blackburn with Darwen an average of 47 hectares of land annually gets planning permission for development and the new policy should avoid the loss of 28 hectares of natural land (equivalent to 44 football fields) and create another 16 hectares of such space (equivalent to 25 football fields), a total of 69 pitches.

It says in Burnley an average of 16 hectares of land annually gets planning permission for development and the new policy should avoid the loss of 10 hectares of natural land (equivalent to 16 football fields) and create another five hectares of such space (equivalent to eight football fields), a total of 24 pitches.

It assesses that in Hyndburn an average of 20 hectares of land annually gets planning permission for development and the new policy should avoid the loss of 12 hectares of natural land (equivalent to 19 football fields) and create another seven hectares of such space (equivalent to 11 football fields), a total of 30 pitches.

It says that in Pendle an average of 39 hectares of land annually gets planning permission for development and the new policy should avoid the loss of 23 hectares of natural land (equivalent to 36 football fields) and create another 13 hectares of such space (equivalent to 20 football fields), a total of 56 pitches.

It estimates that in Ribble Valley an average of 95 hectares of land annually gets planning permission for development and the new policy should avoid the loss of 56 hectares of natural land (equivalent to 88 football fields) and create another 32 hectares of such space (equivalent to 50 football fields), a total of 138 pitches.

It assesses that in Rossendale an average of 14 hectares of land annually gets planning permission for development and the new policy should avoid the loss of eight hectares of natural land (equivalent to 13 football fields) and create another five hectares of such space (equivalent to eight football fields), a total of 21 pitches.

Oliver Lewis, founder of Joe’s Blooms, said: “This analysis clearly shows the sheer potential of BNG, and how nature recovery can and will be a central part of housing development in Lancashire.

"Working together, communities across Lancashire will see wildlife enriched with more green space, improving residents’ health and well-being, and boosting long-term income opportunities through green investments.”

Blackburn with Darwen Council planning chair, Cllr Dave Smith, said: "I think bio-diversity net gain is a good thing. The council welcomes it.

"Going forward it is hard to estimate its effect but the planning committee will keep a close eye on it in terms of the council's specific policy on the issue.".