Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Not Addressed
Ensure local authorities have up-to-date plans to collectively satisfy national environmental targets
Recommendation
Local authorities must ensure they have up to date local plans and environmental and climate planning policies. When combined, all local plans and policies should satisfy national environmental targets, allowing for flexibility as to how they meet these targets between areas, in reflection of unique and local environmental characteristics. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, should work together to audit all local plans once produced to ensure that, collectively, they add up to meet national house building and biodiversity targets. (Recommendation, Paragraph 59)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response addresses Natural England's role in the National Restoration Framework (NRF) and potential conflicts of interest, and does not engage with the recommendation regarding local plans, environmental policies, or a joint audit to meet national targets.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
19. On 16 December 2025, Government published a consultation on a new NPPF. This includes new policy on how development plans should reflect Environment Act requirements for Local Nature Recovery Strategies and Biodiversity Net Gain and proactively approach climate change, and setting out clearly that plans should contribute to compliance with national and local environmental targets and objectives. 20. In relation to the recommendation on auditing local plans, Government has made clear its aspiration to digitise the planning system to drive efficiency and made key data more readily available. The new system for plan-making (mentioned above) will incrementally deliver new digital tools and approaches on matters including housing requirements in plans, post- adoption monitoring of plans and mapping.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗