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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 .

Clear

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

5 items
1 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Rejected

Imperative to publish considerations on planning reforms' compliance with environmental principles.

The Government has assured us that section 19 of the Environment Act 2021, which requires Ministers to give full consideration to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement (EPPS) when making policy, was complied with during the drafting of the latest revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and creation of … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects the recommendation to publish their considerations on how the NPPF and PIB comply with the EPPS, stating that such considerations are not routinely published to protect the ministerial decision-making process.
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36 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Rejected

Mandate prescriptive standards for green and blue infrastructure in all new and refurbished developments.

The Government should be more prescriptive on the standards of green and blue infrastructure in new developments. The Government should mandate initiatives like Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework in new and refurbished developments to seek to ensure high standards of green and blue infrastructure are applied consistently across local planning … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government rejects developing mandatory training or reviewing planning qualifications related to ecology and decarbonisation, stating it has no plans for such measures and that local planning authorities make their own training decisions, though it supports a wider planning capacity programme. It does not address …
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42 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Rejected

Commission a review into Council Tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax for lower embodied carbon homes.

We recommend that the Government commission a review into Council Tax, Stamp Duty Land Tax and any other tax policies to consider the merit of offering lower bands of taxation for homes with lower levels of embodied carbon. (Recommendation, Paragraph 144) Read more

Government response AI summary
The government does not plan to review council tax on the basis of embodied carbon because of potential complexity, revenue impact and the fact that council tax is paid by occupiers, not owners or developers.
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44 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Rejected

Mandate major developers submit whole life carbon assessments for all planning applications.

Major developers should submit whole life carbon assessments as part of planning applications to local authorities; this should be mandatory for all major developments, as defined in the NPPF. The Government should consult on ways to financially incentivise housing development to lower full lifecycle carbon, such as introducing a levy … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government does not agree with mandating whole life carbon assessments at this time, but commits to updating Planning Practice Guidance to assist local authorities and support developers in reducing carbon emissions.
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61 Recommendation 6th Report - Environmental sustainabili… Rejected

Require mandatory training in ecology and carbon literacy within planning qualifications and accreditation

Planning qualifications and accreditation should include mandatory training in ecology and carbon literacy, to ensure that planning professionals have adequate knowledge of nature and climate issues to address these challenges in the built environment. We recommend that the Government, via Skills England, works with a relevant body, such as the … Read more

Government response AI summary
The government has no plans to develop mandatory training in ecology and the decarbonisation of buildings, or review current planning qualifications. They state local planning authorities decide on resource allocation for training.
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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 …