Current government policy shifts away from fragmented, site-specific mitigation toward strategic spatial planning to avoid sensitive sites and strategic compensation measures to manage residual effects on protected areas (Environmental Delivery Plans). The 2027 NESO strategic spatial energy plan will set out what electricity sources are needed where in Great Britain and identify suitable sites based on modelling, which are also of limited value for nature recovery.
The Fingleton Nuclear Regulatory Review stated rigid application of the precautionary principle by statutory nature conservation bodies leads to unrealistic compensation requirements. The Government response proposed:
- Guidance to reduce unnecessary burdens in the Habitats Regulations Assessment process.
- Bringing forward nuclear-specific Environmental Delivery Plans
- A “streamlined” – framework for Biodiversity Net Gain for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.
- A roadmap to bring forward Environmental Outcome Reports to replace Environmental Impact Assessments.
Although the land use framework suggests only 1% of land in England will be used for renewable generation by 2050, damage to some habitats, such as upland deep peatlands, will generate significant location specific environmental disbenefits that it may not be possible to mitigate on site or compensate for. Humans also have place-based values for nature in specific locations, which will not be addressed through strategic compensation approaches such as Environmental Delivery Plans or offsite Biodiversity Net Gain. This POSTnote will summarise what location specific environmental features could be described as irreplaceable and other challenges likely arise to moving to strategic environmental compensation approaches.