Environment secretary launches
consultation into ‘biodiversity net gain’ requirement
Press Association
Sun 2 Dec
2018 21.53 GMT Last modified on Sun 2 Dec 2018 21.54 GMT
Developers could be obliged to
enhance wildlife habitats when building houses or commercial property, under
new government proposals.
A mandatory “biodiversity net
gain” requirement could be put in place, meaning developers would have to leave
habitats better off for wildlife than before any construction work.
The plan, applying to
developments covered by the Town and Country Planning Act in England, is in a
recently launched consultation running until 10 February. In circumstances
where green improvements, such as tree planting or local nature area creation,
were not possible, developers could be charged a levy to pay for habitat
creation or improvement elsewhere.
Michael Gove, the environment
secretary, said: “Our commitment to protecting and enhancing our natural world
can go hand in hand with [building] more high-quality homes. Mandating
biodiversity net gain puts the environment at the heart of planning and
development.”
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