Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, has announced plans for a more dynamic, streamlined approach to environmental regulation will drive economic growth and safeguard nature.
It comes as a review, commissioned by Steve Reed and led by Dan Corry, finds the current system of environmental regulation is outdated, inconsistent and highly complex – delivering for neither nature nor growth. The review concludes that a “bonfire” of regulations is not the solution; rather, it makes 29 recommendations for streamlining regulation, all of which the government is actively considering.
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed said, “Nature and the economy have both been in decline for too long. That changes today. As part of the Plan for Change, I am rewiring Defra and its arms-length bodies to boost economic growth and unleash an era of building while also supporting nature to recover. Dan Corry’s essential report gives us a strong set of common-sense recommendations for better regulation that will get Britain building.”
Economist and former charity leader, Dan Corry, who led the review, said, “Our current system for environmental regulation lets down both nature and growth; we must focus on good outcomes and nature enhancement, not on rigidly preserving everything at any cost.
“This review clearly shows that simply scrapping regulations isn’t the answer – instead, we need modern, streamlined regulation that is easier for everyone to use. While short-term trade-offs may be needed, these reforms will ultimately deliver a win-win for both nature and economic growth in the longer run.”
Defra said that currently, nature groups, developers and farmers are forced to navigate and comply with a complex patchwork of over 3,500 regulations – many of which are out of date and duplicative – as well as multiple overlapping regulators, all while shelling out vast sums in legal costs. This rigid and archaic approach not only stunts growth but impedes large-scale nature recovery, holds up the delivery of homes and infrastructure and creates an unnecessary financial and administrative burden.
The government says it will no longer accept this as the status quo – regulators and regulation must work for the people of Britain, not get in the way of progress.
Reforms will streamline and modernise the regulatory process to reduce bureaucracy and focus on outcomes at scale, rather than delays and paperwork. Measures which require spend will be considered in the context of the Spending Review; those requiring legislative changes will be reviewed in the round as part of the government’s wider legislative priorities.
Further engagement with environmental groups, homebuilders, and a range of organisations across society where necessary will take place to ensure that any changes ensure development, growth, and nature restoration work hand-in-hand.
Responding to the review, Beccy Speight, the RSPB’s Chief Executive, said, “Our natural world is facing catastrophic decline. We support regulatory reforms that promote nature’s recovery and will thoroughly review Dan Corry’s proposals. However, any changes must prioritise nature, ensuring that protected areas are shielded from harmful development that could cause irreversible damage. Reassurances alone are not enough – if the UK Government wants to maintain any credibility in its claims of being serious about protecting nature, it must take decisive action now, starting by removing the threats to vital protections in the Planning & Infrastructure Bill.”
Meanwhile, Country Land and Business Association (CLA) President Victoria Vyvyan said, “The current system of environmental regulation is overly complex and hard to navigate, and needs to be streamlined to protect nature while allowing development to take place.
“While Dan Corry’s review does not recommend a ‘bonfire’ of regulations, it does seek to modernise the system and help drive growth, which is welcome. The report reflects many of the CLA’s recommendations such as action to unlock private sector funding, improving regulatory processes and guidance, and simplifying planning for nature-based solutions, but there is a lot of work to do in Defra before they are realised.
“Having a lead regulator for major infrastructure projects and establishing an Infrastructure Board might speed up approvals and unblock barriers to development at an early stage, but the system must work with affected farmers and landowners. Our members can help deliver housing and infrastructure projects while supporting nature recovery, but they must be part of the process.”
Nine key measures with the greatest impact for growth and nature recovery will be fast-tracked. Work has already begun on:
Lead regulator
A single, lead regulator for major infrastructure projects will end the merry-go-round of developers seeking planning approvals from multiple authorities who often disagree with each other – speeding up approvals and saving businesses millions in time and resource. This could include the recently approved Lower Thames Crossing, as well as future schemes like Heathrow expansion. Pilot projects trialling the approach will begin this year.
Revamping environmental guidance
Rapidly reviewing the existing catalogue of compliance guidance, including on protecting bats, will identify opportunities to remove duplication, ambiguity, or inconsistency.
Streamlined permits and guidance
Speeding up work to update the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 will allow regulators to make more sensible, risk-based decisions on which activities should be exempt from environmental permits, in some cases removing them altogether for low-risk and temporary projects. This will slash red tape for businesses, putting an end to delays that can slow down the decisions needed to get spades in the ground.
Planning permit portal
Defra will convene the environmental regulators to set out the work required to upgrade their digital systems for planning advice, including a single planning portal for all agencies. This will speed up planning applications, while building trust and transparency into the process.
New Defra Infrastructure Board
This will accelerate the delivery of major infrastructure projects by facilitating greater collaboration and stronger oversight within Defra and its arm’s-length bodies – unblocking barriers to development at an early stage.
More autonomy
Trusted nature groups will benefit from new freedoms to carry out conservation and restoration work without needing to apply for multiple permissions at every step of a project. A pilot collaboration between Natural England and the National Trust will allow Europe’s largest conservation charity to cut down on the high volume of applications for consents, permits and licences they must currently submit. This will eliminate bureaucratic hurdles, bringing their ambitious nature recovery programmes to life at scale, more quickly and easily than ever before.
Green finance boost
A new industry-funded Nature Market Accelerator will bring much needed coherence to nature markets – for example biodiversity net gain and voluntary carbon markets – boosting investment into natural habitats and driving growth. This will give businesses greater confidence to invest, unlocking a range of environmental benefits – from improved biodiversity to better water quality.
Strategic policy statements for regulators
Clearer guidance and measurable objectives for all Defra’s regulators, starting with Natural England and the Environment Agency, will drive performance improvements and focus delivery on government priorities. Progress will be closely monitored and reported on publicly – increasing transparency and accountability so the public can be confident that regulators are supporting, not blocking, development and nature restoration.
Rolling regulatory reform
A continuous programme of reform will be established to pinpoint rapid actions, quick wins, and longer-term areas for improvements to regulation.