What Part III of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill means for development & nature recovery

While intended to streamline planning, Part III of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill introduces the idea of developers paying into a centrally managed Nature Restoration Fund to address the notional impacts of development via a system of delivery plans and levies. These changes weaken established environmental protections, allowing developers to compensate for ecological harm through a complex community infrastructure levy (CIL)-style process rather than through direct mitigation.

The bill nullifies key environmental laws, reducing accountability and limiting legal challenges. In addition, the test used to justify environmental delivery plans lacks measurable criteria. This unpredictable, levy-based system that clashes with local and national planning policies is likely to accelerate the decline of our natural environment while adding costs and delays to the developer experience.