The Government has announced major reforms to England’s environmental permitting system designed to cut red tape, reduce waiting times for developers and help accelerate the delivery of new homes and infrastructure.
Under the new approach, announced by Environment Minister Emma Hardy, the Environment Agency will be given greater flexibility to decide which low-risk construction activities can be exempt from requiring an environmental permit.
The change is intended to make the system faster, more proportionate and focused on higher-risk activities, while maintaining strong environmental safeguards.
Currently, early-stage work such as site investigations, drainage operations and temporary storage of waste materials often requires a permit, even when posing minimal environmental risk.
These requirements have led to delays of up to 16 weeks on some projects.
The reforms mean that where appropriate conditions are met, builders will be able to start work more quickly, potentially saving time and costs on new housing and renewable energy developments such as solar and onshore wind farms.
Some low-risk temporary activities carried out by individuals and small businesses – such as certain flood-risk works on farms – will also no longer need a permit, provided they meet defined safety and environmental conditions.
The changes, part of the government’s Plan for Change and Regulation Action Plan, follow recommendations from the Corry review into Defra’s regulatory framework.
The review called for a more risk-based approach to environmental regulation that supports both economic growth and environmental protection.
Hardy said: “We are committed to ensuring that environmental regulation works for everyone – protecting our towns and countryside from harm and delivering sustainable development.
“As part of the Plan for Change, a common-sense approach to environmental permitting in England will boost economic growth and unleash an era of building, while also keeping people and the environment safe.”
The Environment Agency’s chief regulator, Jo Nettleton, said: “Protecting the environment and sustainable development can and must go hand-in-hand. We welcome the Government’s efforts to drive economic growth through a more proportionate permitting regime.
“We have engaged closely with the consultation on reforms to environmental permitting, and look forward to continuing our work as a fair and proportionate regulator for people and the environment while supporting business and sustainable economic growth.”
