Apply or modify the Habitats Regulations to reduce costs whilst protecting the environment

Apply or modify the 2017 Habitats Regulations to:

1. Remove the need to prove a negative when drawing a conclusion on impacts, so that the wording of the regulation refers to the need for scientific evidence and excludes merely hypothetical or speculative risks.
2. Define 'compensatory measures' to expressly exclude the need for like-for-like compensation and instead accept that overall enhancement and measures to support the coherence of protected sites is sufficient.
3. Establish that de minimis effects do not constitute an adverse effect on integrity, including where they have a de minimis contribution to in-combination effects with other projects.
4. Legislate to remove the requirement for separate HRA assessments to be completed for each regulator at different stages, unless there has been a material change to a project. This could be achieved by "deeming" that the first assessment meets the tests of any subsequent approval unless there is a fundamental change in circumstances.
5. Modify the 2017 Habitats Regulations, to allow mitigation measures to be considered at Stage 1 of the Habitats Regulations assessment process.