Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Not Addressed
Incorporate biodiversity into Duty to Co-operate, aligning with Local Nature Recovery Strategies
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government should explicitly incorporate matters relating to biodiversity into the Duty to Co-operate, enabling local planning authorities to work together to meet national house building and biodiversity targets at a regional level. The Duty to Co-operate on biodiversity should eventually be integrated into Sustainable Development Strategies and be required to align with Local Nature Recovery Strategies. (Recommendation, Paragraph 60)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response discusses the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) and Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs), focusing on monitoring and reporting environmental outcomes, but does not mention or commit to incorporating biodiversity into the Duty to Co-operate for local planning authorities at a regional level.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
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.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗