Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 27
27
Deferred
Government plans new Nature Restoration Fund for simplified infrastructure environmental obligations.
Conclusion
In January 2025, the government announced that it will look to change how infrastructure projects meet their environmental obligations as part of its forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill. It set out that this would include a Nature Restoration Fund which will pool contributions from developers to fund larger strategic interventions by, for example, Natural England. In many cases this should enable infrastructure builders to make a single payment to enable development to proceed. The government considers that this approach should be quicker and less burdensome than the current requirement of needing to secure mitigation or compensation for environmental harm before planning permission can be granted on an individual site or project basis.45 Ensuring the right skills and capability
Government Response Summary
The government agrees with the conclusion but defers a final response until early 2026, pending the finalisation and Royal Assent of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and a full understanding of its proposed measures.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Summer 2025 4.2 The department intends to provide the Committee with a preliminary response in its letter to the Committee before the Summer recess begins in July 2025. 4.3 The proposed measures in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which would inform a re-assessment of this issue, including the Nature Restoration Fund and Environmental Delivery Plans, are not anticipated to be finalised, nor receive Royal Assent, until later in the year. 4.4 Once the measures are confirmed, and it is understood how they are intended to work in practice, the department will provide a final response to the Committee. This should be possible by early 2026. 4.5 The department is already working with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to inform operation of the measures in response to the issues raised by the legal requirements for the HS2 bat mitigation structure.