#2026/655Natural England Must Prioritise Avoidance Measures in Environmental Delivery Plans
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This law sets the order Natural England should follow when designing Environmental Delivery Plans for development projects in England. Where appropriate, it must give priority to measures that avoid environmental harm first, then measures that reduce harm, and only then measures that compensate for harm after it happens. The rules affect Natural England, developers, planning authorities, and environmental stakeholders involved in projects covered by an Environmental Delivery Plan. Natural England must also explain in each draft or amended plan which measures fall into each category, and consider value for money when deciding how to prioritise them.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- Requires Natural England to prioritise avoidance measures over mitigation and compensation measures where appropriate
- Requires mitigation measures to be prioritised over compensation measures where appropriate
- Requires draft and amended Environmental Delivery Plans to identify whether conservation measures are avoidance, mitigation, or compensation measures
Obligations
What this law requires
When preparing a draft Environmental Delivery Plan, Natural England must prioritise avoidance measures over mitigation and compensation measures where it considers this appropriate.
When preparing a draft Environmental Delivery Plan, Natural England must prioritise mitigation measures over compensation measures where it considers this appropriate.
When considering whether to request that the Secretary of State amend an Environmental Delivery Plan, Natural England must prioritise avoidance measures over mitigation and compensation measures where it considers this appropriate.
When considering whether to request that the Secretary of State amend an Environmental Delivery Plan, Natural England must prioritise mitigation measures over compensation measures where it considers this appropriate.
When deciding whether it is appropriate to prioritise conservation measures, Natural England should have regard to the extent to which those measures deliver value for money.