Development and nature recovery working paper

On 15 December 2024, the government unveiled a new proposal focussing on streamlining housing and infrastructure development while simultaneously enhancing nature recovery efforts. This working paper, titled ‘Development and Nature Recovery’, outlines a strategic approach to meet environmental obligations whilst accelerating the development process.

The paper comes in light of the government’s aim to overhaul the planning system, targeting the delivery of 1.5 million additional homes in this parliament and follows on from the publication of the revised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) earlier in December.

The working paper introduces a new framework for addressing environmental impacts of development. It proposes shifting from project-specific environmental assessments to strategic, area-wide assessments. In doing so, the government aims to create a win-win situation for both development and nature recovery by pooling resources and taking a more coordinated approach to environmental protection and improvement.

The proposal outlines three key steps for reform:

This involves moving the responsibility for identifying actions to address environmental impacts away from project-specific assessments, and instead proposes strategic, area-wide delivery plans. This will allow “action to address environmental impacts from development to be taken strategically, at an appropriate geographic scale, rather than at the level of an individual project”.

Increased responsibility for the planning and implementation of strategic environmental actions would move to state-designated delivery bodies with relevant expertise, negating the requirement for environmental impact consideration on a case-by-case basis.

The establishment of a Nature Restoration Fund is proposed, allowing developers to contribute through a single payment. This would replace the current system of individual project-specific mitigation measures and could allow for the faster unlocking of development.

The government cites several reasons for this proposed change, including the goal to alleviate delays in development that are sometimes seen throughout the current project-by-project approach, without necessarily improving environmental outcomes. The paper states that there is a need for a more holistic view of nature recovery to be taken, moving away from a system deemed to be burdensome, costly, and uncertain for developers. The proposal aims to tackle inefficiencies and reduce duplication in environmental protection efforts.

The paper outlines the government’s objective to address pollution and environmental harm at source, whilst implementing measures to halt perceived development issues, such as those surrounding the current nutrient neutrality rules. It is acknowledged that upstream improvements can take time, however environmental and natural heritage preservation is stated to be at the heart of the proposals.

The government is currently inviting views on the proposals, and if adopted, the government would utilise the Planning and Infrastructure Bill to make the necessary legislative changes. This is likely to be published around March 2025, as stated by Angela Rayner on 7 January, therefore meaning these changes could become apparent in the coming months.

The government's proposal represents a potentially significant shift in how the UK approaches the balance between development and environmental protection. While there would undoubtedly be implications arising from these changes to the current system, the practicalities of these will likely depend on how they are implemented.

To discuss any of the matters discussed above or any other planning matter, please contact the team.