Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Not Addressed
Publish annual reports detailing mitigation hierarchy application and environmental effectiveness on EDP sites.
Recommendation
We recommend that this evidence should include the systematic monitoring and review of the environmental outcomes on all sites where an EDP has been approved and introduced. NE should publish annual reports detailing the extent to which the MH has been applied to developments with an EDP, alongside evaluations of the effectiveness of the decisions made to improve the environment. (Recommendation, Paragraph 99)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response discusses the complexities of introducing tax incentives for green energy installations and declines to review council tax based on embodied carbon. It does not address the recommendation to systematically monitor environmental outcomes on EDP sites or for NE to publish reports on mitigation hierarchy application.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
48. As set out above, each EDP will need to contain monitoring measures which are sufficient to monitor the effectiveness of the conservation measures which have been implemented, and the effects of the EDP in general. 49. Alongside reports for each individual EDP, Natural England will be required to publish an annual report for the NRF overall which will set out each EDP in force as well as the pipeline of any EDPs being prepared, and a summary of the accounts in relation to each EDP (amount of levy received and the amount spend on conservation measures). We are confident that these reporting requirements will provide the Secretary of State with confidence that the overall improvement test is being achieved, and where this is not the case backup measures will be brought forward. 50. We recognise it is important to articulate how the principles of the existing mitigation hierarchy are expressed through this system. The Government is preparing regulations setting out how Natural England should approach the prioritisation of actions taken to address the impacts of development. These will be in place before the first EDP comes forward, so that they can inform the development of EDPs as well as the wider approach to monitoring and reporting. The legislation’s robust safeguards and reporting requirements will remain in place whether the conservation measures have been delivered onsite or not, securing a positive environmental outcome in all cases. Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)
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