Environmental Delivery Plans

The Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) introduces a new way for housing and infrastructure developers to meet their environmental responsibilities where their projects affect protected sites or species. Natural England will deliver the NRF through Environmental Delivery Plans. The aim is to streamline existing environmental obligations and go further than the current approach of mitigating impacts to improve environmental outcomes while speeding up housing and infrastructure development.

More information on how the NRF will work in practice is set out in the Nature Restoration Fund: Implementation plan and this NRF fact sheet.

An Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) is a document produced by Natural England to identify and deliver strategic conservation measures that materially outweigh specific environmental impacts of development on protected sites or species. An EDP will be based on the best available scientific evidence, existing good practice and with consideration of relevant environmental strategies and spatial plans such as Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS).  The EDP will set out a charging schedule, sufficient to cover the costs of the conservation measures.

A developer may request to pay the EDP levy (as set out in the charging schedule), and if Natural England accepts this request for a specific development, this payment into the NRF will enable the developer to meet the relevant legal obligation associated with the impacts addressed by the EDP. The developer will not need to undertake their own assessments or deliver mitigation for those issues covered by the EDP. This will discharge relevant requirements for planning decision-making relating to that impact. 

It is important to note that the legal obligations met by an EDP are not additional. In the absence of an EDP, developers would still be required to meet these legal obligations through the existing system (i.e. Habitat Regulations Assessment and appropriate mitigation). 

The overwhelming majority of EDPs are expected to be voluntary and developers can choose whether to opt for their development to utilise an EDP. In exceptional circumstances it is possible for EDPs to be mandatory, but the Secretary of State will only make such EDPs where Natural England has satisfied them that it is necessary.

The core legal framework to deliver the NRF is contained within the Planning and Infrastructure Act. However, the government is required by the Act to make secondary legislation (in the form of regulations) to add further detail to some provisions and to give full effect to the Act’s measures. This includes: 

• levy regulations – these will set out how the EDP levy (a charge paid by developers) will operate and how EDP charging schedules will work.
• prioritisation regulations – these will set out the appropriate prioritisation of the different ways of addressing a negative effect of development on a protected species, or on a protected feature of a protected site.

It is expected that Government will lay secondary legislation for the NRF in Spring/Summer 2026. 

On 19^th December 2025, Natural England notified the Secretary of State advising of Natural England’s intention to prepare 23 Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) in England. This includes the preparation of:

• 16 EDPs for nutrient pollution from development affecting protected sites; and
• 7 EDPs for great crested newts (GCN), for development (including infrastructure) in England where GCN are present.

Following the Ministerial commitment during the passage of the legislation, the first EDPs that Natural England will consult on and submit as final draft EDPs in accordance with the statutory process, will relate to nutrient pollution only. 

The EDPs areas are listed in Annex A (Nutrient pollution) and Annex B (Great Crested Newts) of the notification.

The NRF allows the government to take a phased approach to developing and making EDPs. Government’s plan for the first EDPs is to focus on environmental impacts where: 

• The current system is causing delays and blockages to development. 
• There is a robust evidence base supporting the benefits of a strategic approach for nature.
• Natural England have a wealth of existing expertise so EDPs can be delivered at pace. 

For these reasons and given Natural England’s existing strategic programmes with Nutrient mitigation and District Level Licensing, the first EDPs will focus on Nutrients and Great Crested Newts.
More information on the plan for EDPs on other issues is set out in more detail in Nature Restoration Fund: Implementation plan - GOV.UK

Specific timescales and the sequencing of EDPs is still under consideration. The latest information and broad timescales are set out in the Nature Restoration Fund: Implementation plan - GOV.UK

Yes, Natural England will work with local partners to deliver conservation measures. Natural England recognises the scale of what may be required and the importance of local knowledge to ensure effective conservation measures are delivered.  Conservation measures will generally be sourced through fair and open competition, in line with public sector procurement rules. This has the potential to be used by partners to deliver targeted conservation measures as part of wider nature recovery projects.

The Government is currently developing the secondary legislation to support the implementation of the NRF, this will include the levy regulations. These are expected to set out how the levy will operate. The Planning and Infrastructure Act requires that the Secretary of State will need to consider economic viability when making the levy regulations. 

The process for each EDP will vary slightly depending on the specific type of development and the consenting regime to which it applies. The general process set out in implementing the Nature Restoration Fund is as follows:

• When an EDP comes into effect, developers will be able to use an online platform to obtain an estimate of the levy they would need to pay
• Developers will then be able to make a request to pay into the EDP to Natural England. 
• Once approved, the EDP can be relied on by developers in a planning application in place of the required Habitats Regulations Assessment or protected species licence (as relevant) for the environmental impact covered by the EDP.
• At determination and subject to permission being granted, the LPA will impose a pre-commencement compliance condition for payment of the levy. This gives local authorities confidence that their obligations will be fulfilled through the EDP. 

During the consideration of a planning application, local planning authorities are expected to apply any planning conditions set out in the EDP. The local planning authority will work closely with Natural England where the wording of that condition is not appropriate to the particular development being considered. Developers will need to pay the nature restoration levy to a timetable agreed with Natural England, for instance on commencement and following the charging schedule. 

The detailed process and the online platform are currently being developed. 

EDP capacity will be calculated by considering the potential opportunities to deliver conservation measures in an area against the level of development impacts that can be addressed by the measures. This will set the maximum level of development served by that EDP. 

An assessment of housing delivery will be undertaken at a strategic level considering the spatial pattern and scale of development identified in Local Plans and other forward-looking data sources.

This process will ensure that there is sufficient opportunity to deliver the conservation measures to address the ‘negative effects’ of potential development and deliver a material improvement. Capacity will be monitored using a digital system. 

As set out in the Planning and Infrastructure Act (Section 67 - Reporting on an EDP), Natural England must include in mid-point and end point reporting how much of the maximum amount of development remains available. 

Yes, in the majority of cases, EDPs will be voluntary, so developers can choose to submit an application supported by a Habitats Regulations Assessment for their development and provide mitigation on site (if appropriate) rather than paying the EDP levy.

EDPs must be prepared with regard to the development plan for the area, which includes Local Plans. This ensures that EDPs are informed by the spatial strategy, growth locations, and policy framework being established at the local level.

EDPs will sit alongside spatial strategies, covering different geographic areas and specific environmental issues.

An EDP will only affect the provision of mitigation and legal requirements relating to the environmental impact(s) it covers. All other legal requirements relating to the natural environment, including BNG, still apply.