House of Lords Supports Key Amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill

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The House of Lords voted yesterday in favour of Amendment 130 to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will restrict the use of Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) to addressing only diffuse impacts – namely nutrient neutrality, water quality, water resources, and air quality.

This is a significant milestone in ensuring that EDPs are used in an appropriate and targeted way, helping to safeguard biodiversity and the integrity of our environmental protections.

CIEEM would like to extend a huge thank you to all the Peers across the political spectrum who spoke up in support of the amendment – and to the many who referenced CIEEM’s briefings and evidence in their speeches and interventions.

We also want to recognise the hard work and dedication of our members and partners who have helped to get us to this point through their expertise, advocacy and engagement. Your contributions have made a real difference!

However, there is still more work to do. The Bill will shortly return to the House of Commons, and we need MPs to vote to retain Amendment 130 in the final version of the Bill. We’ll be asking members to contact their MPs and urge them to support this important amendment for the sake of nature and sound environmental governance. Keep your eyes open for more information on this.

Meanwhile, Amendment 148 – which would have required Government regulations for EDPs covering the mitigation hierarchy, scientific evidence, baseline data, irreplaceable habitats, and ensuring conservation actions occur before development – was withdrawn. This withdrawal came only after a Government commitment to work with relevant Peers to incorporate the amendment’s provisions before the Bill’s Third Reading in the House of Lords. We’ll be watching closely to ensure that these essential safeguards are properly reflected in the final Bill.

Thank you once again to all of the Peers who spoke in support – and to everyone in the nature conservation community who continues to stand up for nature.