Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 32
32
Not Addressed
Prevent blanket exemptions for small sites and defer substantial BNG policy changes for three years.
Recommendation
While the Government has completed its consultation on new exemptions to BNG, additional exemptions must not undermine the effectiveness of the policy, ecosystem integrity, or the establishment of the BNG credit market. Entire exemptions from BNG for small sites would undermine the policy. The Government should not exempt all small sites, but consider minor alterations, to ensure that the effectiveness of the policy is maintained. We reiterate our recommendation in paragraph 124 of our report on The Role of Natural Capital in the UK’s Green Economy. The Government should wait at least three years before making any substantial changes to BNG, as this could be viewed as a watering down of ambition. (Recommendation, Paragraph 116)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government's response focuses on the NPPF, VAT on renovations, and tackling empty homes, and does not address the recommendation regarding BNG exemptions for small sites or the timing of policy changes.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government · verbatim extract
Not Addressed
57. The Government remains committed to BNG and making the process simpler for SME developers while maintaining nature recovery at scale. Through Defra’s recent consultation, we explored how to make BNG easier, quicker, and cheaper for smaller developers while protecting nature and nature markets. In December we announced that as part of the BNG reforms, the Government is proposing to introduce an area-based exemption for small sites that are 0.2 hectares or less and a further consultation on an additional targeted exemption for residential brownfield development. We think that this strikes the right balance of ensuring that the policy can help us meet both the country’s housing and nature recovery needs. A full consultation response and implementation timeline will be published shortly. 58. We have also consulted on how BNG should be applied to Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from May 2026, to provide a clear framework that ensures major new developments deliver for nature and contribute to our legally binding targets.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗