The UK government has been accused of "rushing through" planning changes that could allow developers to bypass environmental laws for as little as £1, according to a letter signed by more than 100 conservationists, scientists, celebrities, and businesses. The letter, which includes signatories such as actor and writer Stephen Fry and broadcaster Chris Packham, urges incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham to immediately halt the rollout of environmental delivery plans (EDPs).
Plans Allow Developers to Pay to Avoid Protections
EDPs, introduced through the Planning and Infrastructure Act and applying mainly to England and Wales, permit developers to sidestep environmental laws by paying into a national nature levy. Campaign groups argue that this allows developers to pay "cash to trash" wildlife. The letter states that these plans will reverse decades of biodiversity protections "precisely when those protections are needed the most."
A recent report by the joint intelligence committee, which oversees the spy agencies MI5 and MI6, warned that the global attack on nature threatens the UK's national security and food supply.
House of Lords Debate Scheduled
On Wednesday, the House of Lords will debate the Nature Restoration Levy Regulations 2026, a draft statutory instrument under the Planning Act that will operationalize the EDP regime. The regulations require approval from both the Commons and Lords. Ahead of the debate, a member of the Lords introduced a motion calling on the government to withdraw the regulations.
In a submission to the Lords, planning lawyer Alexa Culver of RSK Wilding raised "serious concerns" about the regulations. Culver warned that they allow the secretary of state to change the payment rate for an EDP at any time without consulting Natural England or the developer, handing "unchecked power" to ministers to "set the price of environmental destruction as low as they like." She noted the price could be as low as £1.
Flawed Process and Potential Impact
Culver said the regulations were being "rushed through" with "serious flaws remaining unexamined," creating a "huge vulnerability" to lobbying pressure. Her submission warns that England could become Europe's "bargain basement" because the plans disapply protections derived from the EU Habitats Directive, which every EU member state still applies in full. "Developers in England could face a fraction of the environmental cost their French, German, Dutch, and Irish counterparts must meet," she said.
The government stated that levy rates must be set at a level enabling Natural England to fund conservation measures identified in the relevant EDP. However, critics remain unconvinced.
Experts and Donors Criticize Government Approach
Financier and environmentalist Ben Goldsmith, a signatory of the letter, said it was "clear that this Labour government really doesn't get it when it comes to nature." On Monday, the government's plan to achieve its international commitment to restore 30% of land for nature by 2030 was condemned as "pathetic" and "completely insufficient" amid the spiraling environmental crisis. Goldsmith added that there appears to be "no real commitment or ambition towards restoring the terribly degraded natural fabric of our island, on which we depend for everything."
Dale Vince, a Labour donor and green energy industrialist who also signed the letter, said he would like to see Burnham's government bring "nature into the centre of government thinking" by making it an economic priority.
Government Response
A government spokesperson said: "The status quo for development and nature is not working. This government's vision is for a planning system that delivers for both nature and people. Environmental delivery plans will secure better environmental outcomes that go further than current legislation: not just preventing harm to existing habitats and species but actively restoring and improving them."
