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Select Committee · Environmental Audit Committee

Environmental sustainability and housing growth

Status: Open Opened: 18 Nov 2024 45 recommendations 22 conclusions 1 report

The Environmental Audit Committee is seeking views on how the Government’s proposed reforms to national planning policy and housebuilding targets might affect environmental protections and current approaches to sustainable development.Read the terms of reference and find out how to submit written evidence through the Committee's evidence portal here .

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
6th Report - Environmental sustainability and housing growth HC 439 16 Nov 2025 67 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

4 items
6 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Accepted in Part

Ensure local planning authorities produce up-to-date local plans for appropriate development assessment

We recommend that the Government do more to ensure that local planning authorities are able to, and do, produce up to date local plans, to ensure that developments are being assessed by appropriate local policies, rather than being subject to the presumption in favour of sustainable development. (Recommendation, Paragraph 44) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government has published a consultation on a new NPPF with policies to align plans with environmental requirements and aims to digitise the planning system with new digital tools to improve plan-making and monitoring. This partially addresses enabling local planning authorities to produce updated plans.
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14 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Accepted in Part

Employ the full breadth of policy levers to improve the natural environment.

We acknowledge and welcome the Government’s amendments in June 2025 to Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Akin to the OEP, we see the potential benefits of moving towards a more strategic approach to nature recovery. The amendments are a promising step towards ensuring that the proposed strategic … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government explains how the mitigation hierarchy will be applied through the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) and how the Secretary of State will regulate the prioritisation of conservation measures within Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs), demonstrating action on some policy levers.
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60 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Accepted in Part

Planning qualifications fail to adequately equip professionals with carbon literacy and ecological knowledge

Planning qualifications do not adequately equip professionals with sufficient levels of carbon literacy or ecological knowledge. This undermines planning officers’ ability to fully consider environmental factors in their decision making. To ensure that climate resilience, carbon emissions and ecology are fully incorporated into planning decisions, training on climate change and … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejected mandatory training or a review of planning qualifications, but will work with the Planning Advisory Service to develop continuous professional development modules in ecology, carbon literacy and climate change, and provide funding for training.
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62 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Accepted in Part

Develop and support continuous professional development modules in ecology and carbon literacy for qualified planning professionals

In addition, we recommend that the Government works with the Planning Advisory Service to develop suitable continuous professional development modules in ecology, carbon literacy and climate change, for qualified planning professionals and support their delivery through local authorities. These should be in place by September 2026. (Recommendation, Paragraph 206) 96 Read more

Government response AI summary
The government will continue to work with PAS and explore opportunities to strengthen continuous professional development for planners, including modules related to ecology, carbon literacy and climate change, but does not fully commit to the recommendation.
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Oral evidence sessions

6 sessions
Date Witnesses
21 Jul 2025 Mary Creagh MP · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Matthew Pennycook MP · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Nick Barter · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, William Burgon · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government View ↗
30 Jun 2025 Eamonn Boylan · Homes England, Marian Spain · Natural England, Philip Duffy · Environment Agency View ↗
4 Jun 2025 Brian Berry · Federation of Master Builders, David King · Meadfleet, Dr Rufus Howard · Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, Emma Toovey · Environment Bank, Niall McGann · Fexco, Sue Searle · Ecology Training UK View ↗
7 May 2025 Ashley Spearing · Berkeley Group, Ben Murphy · The Duchy of Cornwall, Chris Thompson · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, Kenny Duncan · Crest Nicholson View ↗
5 Feb 2025 Ben Kite · Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, Charlotte Neal · Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Dr Iain Boulton · Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE), Dr John Martin · School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, Dr Victoria Hills · Royal Town Planning Institute, Sarah Postlethwaite · North Northamptonshire Council View ↗
15 Jan 2025 Alistair Smyth · National Housing Federation, Becky Pullinger · The Wildlife Trusts, Charles Trew · Shelter, Ed Lockhart · Future Homes Hub, Erika Lewis · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Professor Rokia Raslan · University College London View ↗

Who gave evidence

29 witnesses
WitnessOrganisationSessions
Alistair Smyth · Director of Policy and Research National Housing Federation 1
Ashley Spearing · Managing Director of Development and Regeneration Berkeley Group 1
Becky Pullinger · Head of Land Use Planning The Wildlife Trusts 1
Ben Kite · Chair, Strategic Policy Panel Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management 1
Ben Murphy · Estate Director The Duchy of Cornwall 1
Brian Berry · Chief Executive Federation of Master Builders 1
Charles Trew · Head of Policy Shelter 1
Charlotte Neal · Director of Surveying Practice Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors 1
Chris Thompson · Director of Clean Growth Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 1
David King · Managing Director Meadfleet 1
Dr Iain Boulton · Vice Chair Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE) 1
Dr John Martin · Associate Professor School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth 1
Dr Rufus Howard · Impact Assessment Policy Lead Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment 1
Dr Victoria Hills · Chief Executive Royal Town Planning Institute 1
Eamonn Boylan · Chief Executive Homes England 1
Ed Lockhart · Chief Executive Future Homes Hub 1
Emma Toovey · Chief Land and Nature Officer Environment Bank 1
Erika Lewis · Director, Cyber Security and Digital Identity Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport 1
Kenny Duncan · Managing Director of Strategic Land Crest Nicholson 1
Marian Spain · Chief Executive Natural England 1
Mary Creagh MP · Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister … Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Matthew Pennycook MP · Minister of State (Minister for Housing and Plann… Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 1
Niall McGann · CEO Fexco 1
Nick Barter · Deputy Director for Land Use Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 1
Philip Duffy · Chief Executive Environment Agency 1
Professor Rokia Raslan · Professor of Built Environment Decarbonisation University College London 1
Sarah Postlethwaite · Planning Ecologist North Northamptonshire Council 1
Sue Searle · Managing Director and Principal Ecologist Ecology Training UK 1
William Burgon · Director for Planning Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government 1

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
11 Mar 2026 To cttee Letter from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning relating to the gove…
26 Feb 2026 From cttee Letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government …