Planning: Environment Protection
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to consult on the repeal of Strategic Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact Assessments regime.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 16 December 2024 (HCWS317), we will, in due course, replace the current EU derived systems of Environmental Impact Assessment and Strategic Environmental Assessment with Environmental Outcomes Reports (EORs). These will be a more effective and outcome-focused tool for managing the effects of development on the natural environment.
The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023 contains a number of duties to consult on the core elements of the new EOR system, including the setting of outcomes and repealing existing legislation.
Until a new system is implemented, current legislation on environmental assessment and its supporting guidance continues to apply.
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