Environmental sustainability and housing growth

Environmental Audit Committee Open Inquiry
Opened: 18 Nov 2024 Parliament page
The Environmental Audit Committee is seeking views on how the Government’s proposed reforms to national planning policy and housebuilding targets might affect environmental protections and current approaches to sustainable development.Read the terms of reference and find out how to submit written evidence through the Committee's evidence portal here . Read more
45 Recommendations
22 Conclusions
1 Report
6 Oral sessions
2 Letters
6 Events
Activity timeline 16 events
13 Mar
2026
Report published
11 Mar
2026
Correspondence
26 Feb
2026
Correspondence
16 Nov
2025
Report published
21 Jul
2025
Oral evidence
21 Jul
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
30 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
30 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 16, Palace of Westminster
4 Jun
2025
Oral evidence
4 Jun
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
7 May
2025
Oral evidence
7 May
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
Oral evidence sessions 6 sessions
21 Jul 2025
View on parliament.uk
Mary Creagh MP · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Matthew Pennycook MP · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Nick Barter · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs William Burgon · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
30 Jun 2025
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Panel 1
Eamonn Boylan · Homes England Marian Spain · Natural England Philip Duffy · Environment Agency
4 Jun 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Brian Berry · Federation of Master Builders David King · Meadfleet Dr Rufus Howard · Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment Emma Toovey · Environment Bank Niall McGann · Fexco Sue Searle · Ecology Training UK
7 May 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Ashley Spearing · Berkeley Group Ben Murphy · The Duchy of Cornwall Chris Thompson · Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy Kenny Duncan · Crest Nicholson
5 Feb 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Ben Kite · Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management Charlotte Neal · Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Dr Iain Boulton · Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE) Dr John Martin · School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth Dr Victoria Hills · Royal Town Planning Institute Sarah Postlethwaite · North Northamptonshire Council
15 Jan 2025
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Panel 1; Panel 2
Alistair Smyth · National Housing Federation Becky Pullinger · The Wildlife Trusts Charles Trew · Shelter Ed Lockhart · Future Homes Hub Erika Lewis · Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Professor Rokia Raslan · University College London
Title HC No. Published Items Response
6th Report - Environmental sustainability and housing growth HC 439 16 Nov 2025 67 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
4 results
Clear
6 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Environmental sustain…
Ensure local planning authorities produce up-to-date local plans for appropriate development assessment
We recommend that the Government do more to ensure that local planning authorities are able to, and do, produce up to date local plans, to ensure that developments are being assessed by appropriate local policies, rather than being subject to … Read more
Government Response
The government has published a consultation on a new NPPF with policies to align plans with environmental requirements and aims to digitise the planning system with new digital tools to improve plan-making and monitoring. This partially addresses enabling local planning authorities to produce updated plans.
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14 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Environmental sustain…
Employ the full breadth of policy levers to improve the natural environment.
We acknowledge and welcome the Government’s amendments in June 2025 to Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Akin to the OEP, we see the potential benefits of moving towards a more strategic approach to nature recovery. The amendments … Read more
Government Response
The government explains how the mitigation hierarchy will be applied through the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) and how the Secretary of State will regulate the prioritisation of conservation measures within Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs), demonstrating action on some policy levers.
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60 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Environmental sustain…
Planning qualifications fail to adequately equip professionals with carbon literacy and ecological knowledge
Planning qualifications do not adequately equip professionals with sufficient levels of carbon literacy or ecological knowledge. This undermines planning officers’ ability to fully consider environmental factors in their decision making. To ensure that climate resilience, carbon emissions and ecology are … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected mandatory training or a review of planning qualifications, but will work with the Planning Advisory Service to develop continuous professional development modules in ecology, carbon literacy and climate change, and provide funding for training.
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62 Recommendation Accepted in Part
6th Report - Environmental sustain…
Develop and support continuous professional development modules in ecology and carbon literacy for qualified planning professionals
In addition, we recommend that the Government works with the Planning Advisory Service to develop suitable continuous professional development modules in ecology, carbon literacy and climate change, for qualified planning professionals and support their delivery through local authorities. These should … Read more
Government Response
The government will continue to work with PAS and explore opportunities to strengthen continuous professional development for planners, including modules related to ecology, carbon literacy and climate change, but does not fully commit to the recommendation.
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Government Response AI assessment · 67 of 45 classified
Accepted 17
Accepted in Part 4
Acknowledged 10
Not Addressed 31
Rejected 5
Total 45 recs + 22 conclusions
Correspondence 2 letters
11 Mar 2026 To committee Letter from the Minister of State for Housing and Planning relating to the government response to the committee following the publication of the Environmental Sustainability and Housing Growth report, 4 March 2026
Parliament page
26 Feb 2026 From committee Letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government relating to the Government response to the Environmental Audit Committee report on Environmental sustainability and housing growth, 25 February 2026
Parliament page