Government planning reforms to protect nature

News that the Government has warned that the planning system must protect nature, as it unveils reforms

Partner Alison Ogley, Freeths commented:

“This is a potential game changer addressing the current inertia in the system, providing a solution that is more effective than individual developers trying to address environmental improvements on a project by project basis. A central fund will be better placed to tackle environmental improvements on a strategic level. The devil as ever will be in the detail. One of the major issues will be the efficient and effective operation of the central fund – it will need to be properly resourced and accountable to both developers who pay into it and other stakeholders”.

Partner Penny Simpson, Freeths added:

“The Working Paper is a really welcome move by Government seeking to ease the development process whilst delivering benefits for nature. Twinned with Keir Starmer’s announcement of changes to the legal challenge (judicial review) process, Government is clearly making efforts to unlock development. We have already seen this type of strategic approach to addressing developers’ impacts work well within certain existing protected species protection legal regimes (e.g. the Naturespace Great Crested Newt District Licensing regime). The proposed system could work well for specific and commonly encountered impacts on European sites such as nutrients or recreational impacts, where there is clarity and agreement over the measurement of the impacts and ways of offsetting them. There are likely to be more difficulties in using this sort of system for less commonly encountered and more complex impacts, for example from large infrastructure NSIPs. More thought needs to be given to a strategic approach which could make a genuine difference to NSIPs.“

EAN Breaking News

Breaking News from the team at Estate Agent Networking. Have a new story to share with us? Then please get in contact today! When and where we can we will refer to third party websites with a 'live link back' where news was released first.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Popping the Asking Price Bubble

Where in the Uk Can Buyers Snap Up Property Bargains and Where Properties Go for a Premium Above Asking Price   New research from fast selling property company, Upstix has uncovered the UK’s most surprising postcodes for snapping up a property at bargain prices this year, highlighting a widening gap between sellers’ expectations and the…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Highest demand to lease office space since pre-pandemic

The latest insights from the UK’s number one commercial property website Rightmove, reveals that the number of unique enquiries to lease office space is at its highest point since pre-pandemic, as businesses look for spaces that meet modern requirements. Demand to lease office space is 19% higher than the same period a year ago and…
Read More
Planning disputes on new build land
Estate Agent Talk

Planning consultations for major infrastructure to be streamlined

Robert Bruce, a planning and infrastructure partner at law firm Freeths LLP, said he: “Welcomed the change as a significant step to speeding up the DCO process and the focus on the quality and effectiveness of the consultation, rather than box ticking and a risk averse approach to pre-application consultation due to the current legal…
Read More
Breaking News

‘The property ladder pulls further away’ warns Open Property Group

For many first-time buyers across England, the dream of homeownership continues to slip further out of reach. Despite rising wages, soaring house prices are making it harder than ever to get on the property ladder. A leading UK professional house buying company ‘Open Property Group’ based in Buckinghamshire UK, has raised concerns over the ongoing…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

How Long It Takes to Buy a House in the UK: 5 Common Delays That Can Slow Down Your Home Purchase

Wondering how long it takes to buy a house in the UK? The average timeline ranges from 8 to 22 weeks, but even that can stretch significantly due to unexpected delays, especially if you’re a first-time buyer or caught in a chain. That’s why working with experienced professionals like Belvoir — one of the UK’s…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Rightmove to host Renters’ Rights Bill webinar with Guild of Lettings

Rightmove is hosting a live and interactive webinar session with the Guild of Lettings to help agents get Renters’ Rights Ready. The webinar will take place from 10:00am – 11:00am on Wednesday 23rd April. Susie Crolla, Managing Director for the Guild of Lettings, will be joining Rightmove to help agents with questions they may have about…
Read More