Create alternative pathway to comply with the Habitats Regulations
Alternative Habitats Regulations pathway
Allow developers to comply with the Habitats Regulations requirements by paying a substantial fixed contribution to Natural England at the outset. DEFRA should create a predictable, bright line procedure and set of fees based on comparable recent projects.
This would reduce costs to developers and increase the environmental benefit, channelling money from surveys, assessments, and disputes directly towards nature preservation and recovery.
Government Response: Environmental Delivery Plans instead of direct payments
The Taskforce recommended a simple, direct payment mechanism to Natural England as an alternative to site-specific HRA compliance. The Government has instead chosen to route civil nuclear through Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) under the Nature Restoration Fund — a more complex and less proven mechanism that is still under development with EDPs expected by Autumn 2026. The defence sector is getting a stronger bespoke pathway, creating a two-track system. While EDPs may ultimately deliver the intended outcome, they introduce additional complexity and uncertainty compared to the Taskforce's streamlined proposal, and their effectiveness for nuclear projects is unproven.
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Key Regulators
Taskforce target: December 2027
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