Environmental Outcomes Reports: a new approach to environmental assessment

Applies to England

This consultation has concluded

Read the full outcome

Environmental Outcomes Reports: a new approach to environmental assessment - government response

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Environmental Outcomes Reports: Roadmap to reform

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Detail of outcome

The new system of Environmental Outcomes Reports will enable us to manage the effects of development on the natural environment whilst supporting better, faster and greener delivery of the infrastructure and development we need. This roadmap sets out the phases of work necessary to develop and deliver Environmental Outcomes Reports.

Alongside this roadmap, the government has published a response to the original consultation on reform to environmental assessment that was launched under the previous administration.

Original consultation

Summary

The Department for Levelling Up. Housing and Communities seeks views on our approach to developing Environmental Outcomes Reports to support departments in the next stage of policy development.

This consultation ran from
17 March 2023 to 11:45pm on 9 June 2023

Consultation description

Part 6 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will secure powers to implement a new system of environmental assessment known as Environmental Outcomes Reports. This will allow the government to replace the EU-derived Strategic Environmental Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment processes with a streamlined system that places greater focus on delivering our environmental ambitions.

The introduction of outcomes-based approach to the Environmental Outcomes Reports allows the government to reflect its environmental priorities directly into plan-making and decision-making process on the largest developments. The feedback from this consultation will help us establish our approach to developing these environmental outcomes across government.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is required to review the two existing sets of environmental impact assessment regulations it is responsible for every five years to consider whether the regulations have met the intended objectives of the legislation and understand their effect on business. The regulations are:

  • the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017; and
  • the Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017.

Documents

Environmental Outcomes Report: a new approach to environmental assessment

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Post Implementation Review: Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017

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Post Implementation Review: Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017

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From: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

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