Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of exempting developments granted planning permission through development orders on the effectiveness of the Government’s policy that new developments should enhance biodiversity and create new green spaces.

The Government’s response to biodiversity gain consultation published in https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/biodiversity-net-gain-updating-planning-requirements made it clear that the new biodiversity gain regime – currently being legislated for in the Environment Bill - would not apply to permitted development rights which are granted under the General Permitted Development Order. The provisions do apply to development permitted by local development orders and neighbourhood development orders.