Rippling water

Supporting Local Authorities in Lincolnshire

Green Investment in Greater Lincolnshire (GIGL) is a locally led project helping to create a trusted marketplace for biodiversity, carbon, and water credits.

Through this initiative, we’re connecting landowners, investors, and developers to fund and deliver real nature-based solutions across Greater Lincolnshire.

Led by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and supported by the UK Government’s Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF), GIGL brings together a wide network of environmental experts, Local Planning Authorities, and land managers to deliver measurable benefits for nature and climate.

We’re doing this by:

  • Identifying and preparing high-quality habitat projects across the region. We are already working with landowners in every Local Planning Authority area and National Character Area across Greater Lincolnshire.

  • Developing a transparent system for the verification and trading of biodiversity and environmental units.

  • Ensuring projects contribute to local planning priorities, support the objectives and policies of Local Plans, and help deliver the aspirations and actions of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

  • Working in partnership with Local Planning Authorities, environmental organisations and land managers to maximise benefits for nature, people and place.

Register an interest
Caterpillar

What we do

Helping LPAs meet their biodiversity goals

We help LPAs meet biodiversity goals by providing high-integrity off-site units that are legally secured, locally relevant, and easy to verify.

  • Creating a pipeline of credits

    We work with landowners across Lincolnshire to restore, enhance and create various habitats, supporting wider recovery across the landscape.

  • Enabling ethical and efficient investment

    We make it easy for developers to buy trusted biodiversity credits when full on-site delivery isn’t possible. This helps with meeting development targets while ensuring nature gains are still achieved.

  • Guaranteeing quality and transparency

    All GIGL sites are independently assessed and supported by long-term management plans, legal agreements, and clear monitoring requirements — so you know what’s being delivered and for how long.

  • Keeping benefits local

    We encourage alignment with the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) and local environmental priorities, helping to ensure investment supports nature recovery in the right places

  • Building capacity

    We provide free training for elected members, senior leadership teams and planning departments, supporting the delivery of Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and wider environmental objectives. We are also exploring opportunities to develop internships in partnership with Local Planning Authorities. Contact us if you would like to discuss how we can work together.

Ploughed field

How GIGL Supports LPAs

How we help LPAs

As Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements come into force, we know planning teams are under more pressure than ever. We also recognise that increasing environmental risks to Greater Lincolnshire are creating additional demands on local authorities and their partners.

Nature can be part of the answer. We can help by offering:

  • Confidence in delivery

    Every credit we offer represents real biodiversity improvement — legally secured for at least 30 years and backed by robust evidence and monitoring.

  • Streamlined decision-making

    By acting as a central point of access for trusted off-site units, GIGL saves you time and reduces the need to assess complex proposals from multiple providers.

  • Strategic habitat creation

    We align all our projects with local nature recovery priorities, helping to deliver bigger, better and more joined-up habitats that support wildlife and resilience.

  • Trust and collaboration

    GIGL has been shaped through ongoing conversations with planning and ecology officers across Lincolnshire. It’s built to support the real needs of local authorities.

Butterfly

Working with GIGL

Built with Your Input

We’ve worked with district and county planning teams to shape:

  • Our credit registry and verification process

  • Site selection priorities

  • Monitoring, reporting and enforcement

  • Planning condition and S106 support materials

Working with GIGL

Trust and Integrity

Every biodiversity unit available through GIGL is designed to be real, local, long-term and measurable.

How we make that happen:

  • BNG-compliant: All projects meet Defra’s Biodiversity Net Gain guidance

  • Legally secured: All sites are protected through legal agreements for 30+ years

  • Verified and monitored: Baseline surveys, habitat targets, and independent checks are built in from the start

  • Transparent register: Every unit is tracked through a central system with a clear audit trail

  • Aligned with policy: Projects contribute directly to LNRS goals and local conservation priorities

This gives LPAs — and the developers you work with — confidence that GIGL credits are a meaningful contribution to nature recovery.

Ferns in a field

Take the next step and register your interest with us

Register as a local planner