Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Acknowledged
The Planning and Infrastructure Act is a wide-ranging reform of the planning system, intended to...
Conclusion
The Planning and Infrastructure Act is a wide-ranging reform of the planning system, intended to accelerate housing delivery and remove barriers to infrastructure development across England. The Act introduces the Nature Restoration Levy, a mechanism which allows developers pay into to the Nature Restoration Fund to discharge their environmental obligations when building, housing and infrastructure developments affect protected sites or species.70 This is an optional fund: developers can choose to do site-specific environmental mitigation on their development.71
Government response summary AI-generated
The government acknowledges the committee's description of the Planning and Infrastructure Act and the Nature Restoration Levy, clarifying that Biodiversity Net Gain and the Nature Restoration Fund are distinct yet complementary policies.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government · verbatim extract
Acknowledged
6.6 Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) are distinct and complementary policies, both aiming to ensure that development delivers a net benefit for nature. The NRF is predominantly optional and will focus on enabling development in areas where it has stalled due to specific environmental obligations. For example, nutrient neutrality currently affects 8% of housing. BNG currently applies to all new housing (including exemptions) and is scheduled to go live for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects from November 2026.
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