Member

Amendment 250, tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Roborough, is in respect of the use of planning conditions as conservation measures. The Government have been clear that planning conditions can play an important role in ensuring that developers are taking appropriate action to avoid harm in advance of other conservation measures being delivered. These conditions will form part of the draft EDP that is consulted on, so that developers are aware of any conditions that may be imposed if they choose to utilise an EDP. As drafted, the Bill would allow Natural England only to request that a condition be imposed on development that is seeking to rely on the EDP. It would not be the case that Natural England could request that planning conditions be imposed on development that was not seeking to rely on the EDP through a payment of the nature restoration levy, which is, I believe, the concern at the heart of the proposed amendment. With this explanation, I hope that the noble Lord will not press his amendment.