The Planning and Infrastructure Act is a key part of the government’s plan to secure sustained economic growth and get Britain building again. The Nature Restoration Fund Implementation Plan is part of the Act which will drive the recovery of protected sites and species whilst supporting the acceleration of house building and infrastructure.
The Implementation Plan sets out the pathway to rolling out the Nature Restoration Fund, culminating in the delivery of the first Environmental Delivery Plans (EDP) in 2026.
Under the new approach, Natural England will work with public bodies, environmental organisations, private markets and developers to create an EDP for specific areas, outlining conservation measures that address impacts of development on protected sites and species.
It is anticipated that the Nature Restoration Fund will support the wider growth of nature related businesses, in functions such as evidence gathering, environmental baselining, and monitoring. These opportunities are likely to develop as the processes around the EDP lifecycle are standardised and the Nature Restoration Fund enters a business-as-usual state.
EDPs will be voluntary by default, allowing developers to continue to meet relevant obligations on a project-by-project basis through existing processes and providers if they wish. Only by exception, where it is considered necessary, can Natural England propose that an EDP should be mandatory, and this would need to be approved by the relevant Secretary of State.
Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) and the associated offsite market for biodiversity units will not be affected by the Nature Restoration Fund. BNG is not in scope of the Planning and Infrastructure Act.
Defra and Natural England are planning to launch the first EDPs in the second half of 2026. For more information, please see the Nature Restoration Fund Implementation Plan.