Update

R12Alternative Habitats Regulations pathway
Risk
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.

govt_response
Source: Policy PaperDESNZ, March 2026

Impact on Overall Status

Status changed to: Watered Down
Confidence changed to: medium
EDPs are more complex than the direct payment mechanism recommended; defence pathway is stronger than civil.
Recommendation Context
Chapter: Chapter 7: Environmental Assessments & Permitting
Owner: DEFRA
Current Status: Watered Down
View full recommendation

The content in this tracker is partially AI-generated based on the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce report. We have worked hard to ensure it is accurate, but some of the titles, descriptions, etc. may be slightly different or truncated. If you find any errors or inaccuracies, please report them to us.

Government Response: Environmental Delivery Plans instead of direct payments | R12 | Nuclear Taskforce Tracker