Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Not Addressed
Amend NPPF's sustainable development definition to prioritise environmental sustainability and strengthen safeguards
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government should amend the definition of the presumption in favour of ‘sustainable development’ in the December 2024 revision of the NPPF to give greater weight to environmental sustainability. This should include strengthening safeguards against environmentally unsustainable, unplanned and speculative development. These revised definitions should be provided to the Committee in the Government’s response to this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 45)
Government Response Summary
The government's response discusses the abolition of the 'Duty to Cooperate' and general biodiversity policy in the NPPF, but does not address the recommendation to amend the definition of 'sustainable development' to give greater weight to environmental sustainability.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
21. The Duty to Cooperate was put in place to help bridge the gap in co- operation resulting from the abolition of regional planning. However, as a legal provision it has, at times, been difficult to comply with and has led to some notable local plan failures. This is in part because any shortcomings relating to the Duty cannot lawfully be remedied during examination. Therefore the new plan-making system to be rolled out early this year does not include the Duty. The Government has also since announced its intention to remove the Duty for plans being brought forward under the remaining time that the current plan making system will be in place. 22. Cross boundary co-operation will however remain an important part of the plan making process and the NPPF sets clear expectations about how this should be done. The NPPF also contains strong and clear policy in relation to the protection and enhancement of biodiversity. Plans, including the new spatial development strategies required by the Planning and Infrastructure Act, will be legally required to take account of any local nature recovery strategy.