Natural England's Nutrient Mitigation Scheme for developers

You will need to calculate how many credits you need to buy, based on how many nutrients your development needs to mitigate.

To calculate how many credits you need, contact your local planning authority (LPA) and request to use the Teesmouth nutrient budget calculator version 2.2 (March 2023).

The Teesmouth nutrient budget calculator can also be found for download on the Darlington Borough Council website. 

The calculator will tell you the total amount of nitrogen you need to mitigate. To mitigate one kilogram, you need to buy one credit. For example, to mitigate 2.75 kilograms of nitrogen you'll need to apply for 2.75 credits.

You must submit your calculations to your local planning authority (LPA) as part of your planning application. Your LPA will confirm if your calculations are correct.

You can apply for credits with Natural England before your calculations are confirmed.

If your LPA notifies you that the number of credits you have applied for is incorrect, you must notify Natural England by email at nutrientmitigation@naturalengland.org.uk. Natural England will then advise you on what to do next.

The cost of credits

For the first round of applications the cost of one credit is £1,825.

For example, if you need to buy 2.75 credits, the total cost will be £5,018.75.