Written Question·Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs·UIN 92257
Biodiversity: Property Development
Tabled: 18 November 2025
Answered: 25 November 2025
Question
Alicia Kearns
Conservative — Rutland and Stamford
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether she plans to require local planning authorities to publish biodiversity net gain data and monitoring outcomes for developments in their area.
Answer
Mary CreaghThe Environment Act 2021 established a strengthened biodiversity duty, which requires local planning authorities to publish a biodiversity report at least every 5 years, setting out how they have complied with the duty. As part of this report, local planning authorities are required to include actions they have taken under biodiversity net gain obligations, and information from the biodiversity gain plans they have approved. The first reports must be published by 1 January 2026.