Environmental Development Plans EDP
The Environmental Audit Committee. Environmental sustainability and housing growth: Sixth Report of Session 2024–26 HC 439 describes Environmental Development Plans (EDP) which are proposed in Part Three of the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, being considered by Parliament as of November 2025. "They consist of a package of conservation measures that aim to offset and address the environmental impacts of development. Unlike current approaches, that assess impacts on a site-by-site basis, EDPs apply to broader geographical areas, aiming to enable more strategic environmental planning."
NOTE: The term 'Environmental Development Plans (EDPs)' is referred to in the Glossary of the above report elsewhere in the body of the report the term Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) (section 3.1) is referred to thus: "In creating an Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP), either on its own initiative or at the request of the Secretary of State, Natural England will set out a package of conservation measures sufficient to address one or more environmental impacts of development and secure an environmental uplift. Rather than being limited to addressing the impact of a single development, an EDP will be able to pool resources and deliver conservation measures at scale to maximise the outcome for the environment whilst securing secondary benefits like public access to green spaces. At the same time, developers will benefit from a streamlined process and simple user experience."
The term Environmental Improvement Plans (EIP) is also referred to in the above text, it is a related term but one that was referred to under the previous conservative government in relation to national environmental targets, frameworks and policies as described "Any future national spatial planning or land use policies, such as a Land Use Framework or Spatial Development Strategies, must be aligned with, and complimentary to, all environmental targets, frameworks and policies. These include but are not limited to: Environment Act 2021 targets, the Environmental Improvement Plan, Biodiversity Net Gain, Nature Recovery Networks, Environmental Land Management Schemes, Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS), Environmental Delivery Plans (if in existence) and Flood Plans." One example is the government's Corporate report: Environmental Improvement Plan 2023. Our delivery plan for the environment, building a greener, more prosperous country. For more information see the government blog page What the Environmental Improvement Plan means for you.
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