In December 2025, the Planning and Infrastructure Act (2025) received Royal Assent and is now law. A key element of this legislation is the creation of the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) which is underpinned by Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs). The approach is designed to deliver better outcomes for nature while providing developers with a simpler, more predictable and strategic system. Natural England has now published its implementation plan, marking the next step toward rolling out this new approach.
EDPs are strategic plans prepared by Natural England that set out the conservation measures needed to address specific environmental impacts of development. They enable contributions to the NRF and support a coordinated, catchment wide approach rather than project by project mitigation.
The first Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) will focus on nutrient neutrality across 16 catchments, including the Solent and River Itchen. We are working closely with Natural England to understand the transition to this new process, how it will operate locally, and which catchments are likely to be prioritised first.
Alongside this, the Government is preparing secondary legislation to support delivery of the NRF, including:
- Levy regulations, which will set out how developer charges will operate.
- Prioritisation regulations, which will establish the order in which different measures should be used to address the impacts of development on protected species and sites.
The first EDPs are expected to be published for formal consultation in Spring/Summer 2026.
Once these initial nutrient-focused EDPs are in place, the Government has committed to returning to Parliament with a statement outlining early learnings from their development and implementation. Only after this statement is made will EDPs covering other environmental issues be brought forward.
We’ll continue to share updates as more information becomes available.
