Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Accepted in Part
Employ the full breadth of policy levers to improve the natural environment.
Recommendation
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 approach of Environmental Delivery Plans and the Nature Restoration Fund do not result in the reduction of any environmental protections, risking irrevocable harm to our national ecosystems. Nevertheless, the new approach to meeting existing environmental requirements, introduced in Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, is not enough on its own to ensure that the Government can meet its environmental targets alongside its housing target. Beyond the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the Government must actively employ the full breadth of policy levers at its disposal to improve the natural environment. (Conclusion, Paragraph 77)
Government Response 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.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
45. The principles that underpin the mitigation hierarchy will continue to be applied through the NRF. However, the nature of a strategic level approach means that it is not appropriate to directly apply the mitigation hierarchy when considering which conservation measures to include in an EDP, since it is not possible to directly map the mitigation hierarchy onto different types of conservation measures. As Government amendments made clear, the Secretary of State will bring forward regulations setting out the approach Natural England should take towards prioritising different types of conservation measure. 46. For environmental effects not addressed through an EDP, the mitigation hierarchy will continue to be applicable to individual decision making, for example through the NPPF. 47. As set out in earlier responses, the Act contains a thorough suite of monitoring and requirements that apply to all EDPs. These mechanisms will provide transparency and build trust that EDPs and the conservation measures they contain are performing as intended, with fallback measures being deployed and amendment/revocation considered in any cases of under-performance. These measures will apply irrespective of the approach Natural England adopts towards prioritising different types of conservation measure.