Among the most consequential for the natural world is the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025, a law that many conservationists fear will make the already‑difficult task of restoring nature even harder.
What are Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs)?
At the heart of the concern is the Act’s introduction of Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs). These plans allow developers to replace long‑standing rules designed to protect sensitive wildlife sites with a new, largely untested system. Crucially, EDPs shift emphasis away from avoiding harm to nature and towards mitigation after damage has occurred-a risky move at a time when UK habitats are deteriorating and species numbers continue to decline.
Campaigning to protect nature
There is, however, a glimmer of hope: public pressure and parliamentary scrutiny helped secure improvements that reduced, though did not remove, the threat the Act poses to wildlife. The Wildlife Trusts played a central role in driving these safeguards.
From the moment the Bill was introduced, the Trusts issued a clear demand: strengthen it with legal protections to prevent environmental backsliding. Thousands of people signed an open letter supporting these safeguards, which campaigners delivered to the Ministry of Communities, Housing & Local Government in May. Support also grew in Parliament, with MPs - including Taunton’s Gideon Amos and Chris Hinchliff - championing stronger scientific tests and a system that prioritised avoiding environmental harm.
Government pushback
Despite a stark warning from the Government’s own Office for Environmental Protection that the Bill would weaken environmental protections, Ministers rejected all proposed improvements in the Commons. In response, Somerset Wildlife Trust and others launched their high‑profile “cash to trash” campaign, mobilising thousands more supporters.
Progress and setbacks
By mid‑July 2025, the pressure began to pay off. The Government tabled amendments introducing evidence requirements, sequencing safeguards, and a legal test to ensure any EDP demonstrated “material environmental improvement”. The OEP acknowledged that while the Bill still weakened environmental law overall, these changes significantly reduced the risks.
When the Bill reached the House of Lords, peers across parties pushed for further improvements. A cross‑party group tabled Amendment 130, designed to restrict EDPs to areas - air and water quality - where evidence shows the approach can work. Backed by the Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB and others, the amendment passed with a majority of more than 100.
But the victory was short‑lived. When the Bill returned to the Commons, Ministers used their majority to strip out the Lords’ nature‑protecting amendments. Yet sustained public and parliamentary pressure secured some final concessions: the first EDP will focus solely on water pollution, and any future plans must be justified to Parliament with clear evidence before they go ahead.
What lies ahead?
Nine months of campaigning revealed two important truths: the public is willing to stand up for nature in huge numbers, and many MPs and peers recognise that protecting wildlife is essential - not an obstacle to growth. While the Act still weakens environmental protections, collective action has undoubtedly reduced the harm.
As the Act begins to take effect, the real test will be how these policies are implemented in practice. Protecting nature must remain central to decision-making - not something addressed after the damage is done.