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
5 results
Clear
1 Recommendation Rejected
6th Report - Environmental sustain…
Imperative to publish considerations on planning reforms' compliance with environmental principles.
The Government has assured us that section 19 of the Environment Act 2021, which requires Ministers to give full consideration to the Environmental Principles Policy Statement (EPPS) when making policy, was complied with during the drafting of the latest revision … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects the recommendation to publish their considerations on how the NPPF and PIB comply with the EPPS, stating that such considerations are not routinely published to protect the ministerial decision-making process.
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36 Recommendation Rejected
6th Report - Environmental sustain…
Mandate prescriptive standards for green and blue infrastructure in all new and refurbished developments.
The Government should be more prescriptive on the standards of green and blue infrastructure in new developments. The Government should mandate initiatives like Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework in new and refurbished developments to seek to ensure high standards of … Read more
Government Response
The government rejects developing mandatory training or reviewing planning qualifications related to ecology and decarbonisation, stating it has no plans for such measures and that local planning authorities make their own training decisions, though it supports a wider planning capacity programme. It does not address being more prescriptive on green/blue infrastructure standards or mandating the GI Framework.
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42 Recommendation Rejected
6th Report - Environmental sustain…
Commission a review into Council Tax and Stamp Duty Land Tax for lower embodied carbon homes.
We recommend that the Government commission a review into Council Tax, Stamp Duty Land Tax and any other tax policies to consider the merit of offering lower bands of taxation for homes with lower levels of embodied carbon. (Recommendation, Paragraph … Read more
Government Response
The government does not plan to review council tax on the basis of embodied carbon because of potential complexity, revenue impact and the fact that council tax is paid by occupiers, not owners or developers.
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44 Recommendation Rejected
6th Report - Environmental sustain…
Mandate major developers submit whole life carbon assessments for all planning applications.
Major developers should submit whole life carbon assessments as part of planning applications to local authorities; this should be mandatory for all major developments, as defined in the NPPF. The Government should consult on ways to financially incentivise housing development … Read more
Government Response
The government does not agree with mandating whole life carbon assessments at this time, but commits to updating Planning Practice Guidance to assist local authorities and support developers in reducing carbon emissions.
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61 Recommendation Rejected
6th Report - Environmental sustain…
Require mandatory training in ecology and carbon literacy within planning qualifications and accreditation
Planning qualifications and accreditation should include mandatory training in ecology and carbon literacy, to ensure that planning professionals have adequate knowledge of nature and climate issues to address these challenges in the built environment. We recommend that the Government, via … Read more
Government Response
The government has no plans to develop mandatory training in ecology and the decarbonisation of buildings, or review current planning qualifications. They state local planning authorities decide on resource allocation for training.
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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