Built Environment Committee
The impact of environmental regulations on development

2nd Report of Session 2022-23 - published 21 September 2023 - HL Paper 254

Contents

Summary

Summary of conclusions and recommendations

Chapter 1: Introduction

Chapter 2: Government ambitions

Government policies and targets

Box 1: Kunming-Montreal agreement

Achievement of targets

Statutory framework

Relevant environmental regulations

Habitats regulations

Box 2: Dutch ‘N’ Case

Biodiversity Net Gain

Environmental Permitting

Box 3: Infrastructure projects

Chapter 3: Balancing competing targets

Local plans

Planning applications

Habitats regulations

Unaddressed policy conflicts

The balance of responsibility

Balancing responsibility between sectors

Box 4: The Netherlands’s nitrogen strategy

Focus on new development

Box 5: Crawley Borough Council water mitigation

Protected sites

Chapter 4: Public sector structures and resourcing

Structures and resourcing

Central government and statutory bodies

Local planning authorities

Chapter 5: Project-specific challenges

The function of mitigation schemes

Availability and costs

Box 6: Nutrient Neutrality

Effectiveness of mitigation schemes

Box 7: Thames Basin Heaths zone of influence

Monitoring and enforcement

Information requirements

Demands and costs

Data and analysis

Box 8: Hampshire County Council Environmental Data and

Advice Service

Ease of understanding

Brownfield land

Biodiversity net gain

Planning and permitting

Box 9: Redevelopment site containing red shale

Post-permission approvals

Clarity and Guidance

National Policy Statements

Chapter 6: Impact on smaller developers

Unavailability of mitigation schemes

Biodiversity net gain

The planning system

Appendix 1: List of Members and declarations of interest

Appendix 2: List of witnesses

Appendix 3: Call for evidence

Appendix 4: Committee visit to Houlton, Rugby

Appendix 5: Glossary

Evidence is published online at https://committees.parliament.uk/work/7328/the-impact-of-environmental-regulations-on-development and available for inspection at the Parliamentary Archives (020 7219 3074).

Q in footnotes refers to a question in oral evidence.





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