CIEEM publishes briefing on solutions to issues with the planning system in England
In late June, CIEEM convened a group of senior members to look at solutions to issues with the planning system in England.
Government had published the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB) as a proposed way to solve some of the perceived or otherwise issues with the planning system.
Having spent the first half of the year rightly criticising the Bill, CIEEM has deliberately spent time looking for solutions that the Bill is trying to address.
The PIB is intended to accelerate development and nature recovery, but in its current form risks adding complexity, delays, and costs for developers while significantly weakening environmental protections – particularly through the overly broad and ill-defined Part 3. Although the goal of streamlining environmental decision-making is welcome, the proposed approach threatens safeguards for protected species, habitats and sites, and is unlikely to speed up the planning process. To resolve this, Part 3 should be narrowed to focus solely on diffuse and cumulative environmental impacts, explicitly excluding matters related to protected species and most other habitat impacts. This targeted revision, alongside proposed improvements to the planning system and considered updates to the Habitats Regulations, would support efficient development and meaningful nature recovery without environmental harm.
Specifically, the workshop came up with four areas to look at:
- Restricting the Scope of Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill
- Improving the Current Planning System
- Reforming and Strengthening the Habitats Regulations
- Supporting Strategic Mitigation and Nature Recovery