Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 April 2025 to Question 42243 on Recreation Spaces, whether SANGS payments will still be required in addition to contributions to (a) the Nature Restoration Fund and (b) Biodiversity Net Gain, in the context of development near Habitats Sites.

Where an Environmental Delivery Plan is in place to address the negative effects of recreation on Habitats Sites, payment of the Nature Restoration Levy would offer an alternative option to applicants to discharge their environmental obligations. Applicants would therefore be able to choose to pay the levy as an alternative to making a SANGs payment.

Where no Environmental Delivery Plan is in place, the current environmental assessment system would remain in place, and any required SANGs payments would continue to apply.

Biodiversity Net Gain is an additional requirement separate from obligations related to impacts to Habitats Sites and will run concurrently with the Nature Restoration Fund. The requirement to deliver Biodiversity Net Gain would remain regardless of whether an Environmental Delivery Plan is in place.