Thank you to those who contacted me about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and its impact on wildlife.
I support the Bill, which will not only unblock key infrastructure projects but will also provide more funding to protect and restore nature. We have many incredibly important habitats and species in this country, and I was elected on a manifesto that committed to improving outcomes for the environment.
I know that there have been concerns that the Bill will remove existing environmental protections and put irreplaceable habitat at risk. I am pleased to confirm that this is not the case. The Bill will maintain existing legal and policy protections, while delivering a more strategic approach to improving our environment. I believe that the Bill will ultimately deliver more for nature, not less.
The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) contains clear rules that any development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats should be refused by planning authorities. Let me assure you that this Bill does not change this. There is a very high bar for exceptions to this rule – proposed developments must be wholly exceptional and demonstrate that the public benefit of them going ahead would outweigh loss or damage to crucial habitats. Any development must also propose a suitable compensation strategy to enhance the environment.
Recent updates to the NPPF include changes designed to enhance and protect the environment. For example, it expects developments to provide net gains for biodiversity, including through incorporating features which support priority or threatened species such as bats, swifts, and hedgehogs.
I am confident that the new Nature Restoration Fund, established by the Bill, will accelerate the building of homes and infrastructure, while unlocking the positive impact that development can have in driving the recovery of protected sites and species. It allows Natural England to bring forward Environmental Delivery Plans to set out strategic action that will need to be taken to address the impact development has on protected sites and species.