#2026/549Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 Commencement No. 3 Regulations
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
This regulation brings part of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 into force in England, mainly changes to the Habitats Regulations that affect how certain planning and development permissions are treated. The changes start the day after the regulation was made. It also protects some existing projects from the new rules. Projects with planning permission granted before 17 August 2020, and some projects authorised under wider general consents before the commencement date, continue under the old position. Developers, planning authorities and advisers should check the date and type of consent before applying the new habitat-related rules.
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Key Changes
- Brings Part 1 of Schedule 5 to the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 into force, except one specified paragraph
- Applies new habitat-related amendments to planning and development consents from the commencement date
- Creates transitional protection for projects already authorised before key dates
Obligations
What this law requires
Apply Part 1 of Schedule 5 to the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, except paragraph 14(2), from 21 May 2026 when assessing affected planning and development permissions in England.
Do not apply the amendments made to the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 by Part 1 of Schedule 5 to any project authorised by a planning permission granted before 17 August 2020.
Do not apply the amendments made to the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017 by Part 1 of Schedule 5 to any project authorised by a general consent where the relevant date was before 21 May 2026.