Environmental regulations inquiry: committee to hear evidence on community involvement

The committee will hear from:

• Richard Benwell, Chief Executive Officer at Wildlife and Countryside Link
• Jackie Copley, Planning Director at CPRE - The Countryside Charity.

This public evidence session will be held in Committee Room 3 of the House of Lords and streamed live on Parliament TV. 

The topics that are likely to be covered in this session include:

• The role community groups play in supporting public engagement in environmental assessment and regulation.
• How clearly changes in environmental regulations are communicated to stakeholders involved in the planning process.
• The effectiveness of the current system of public engagement in the planning system in reaching compromise between community groups and other key actors in the development process.
• Public understanding of the balance between economic and social benefits arising from development and potential environmental impacts.
• Whether the housebuilding sector is unfairly bearing the brunt of environmental regulations and community criticism compared to other significant contributors to environmental challenges, such as agriculture.

More about the inquiry on the impact of environmental regulations on development

The Government has set out, through primary and secondary legislation, a number of environmental requirements for development of the built environment. This has resulted in a framework of environmental protection for development in England which is largely administered through the planning system. Examples of such regulations include those on biodiversity net gain, nutrient neutrality, habitats and air quality.

This inquiry will assess the governance, the associated costs for developers and promoters, and the impact on the delivery of projects, of nationally defined environmental regulations in England.

This inquiry has its own webpage. The committee’s work can be followed on its website and via Twitter.