England has set a firm timetable for Environmental Delivery Plans-new, area-based programmes led by Natural England to tackle development impacts on habitats and species while giving builders clearer rules. Key powers started on 19 December 2025, with the full regime due to begin on 18 February 2026 and annual reporting from April. The instrument sits under the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 and was made on 18 December 2025.

The Regulations switch on the scaffolding for Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs): scope and content, how they define the area and type of development covered, the conservation measures to be delivered, and the charging schedules for a new nature restoration levy. They also place monitoring and co‑operation duties on Natural England and public bodies, and require notification and consultation when a draft EDP is prepared. These powers are now live for preparatory work.

From 18 February 2026, wider planning changes land. National Policy Statements must be fully reviewed at least every five years, with added parliamentary oversight for material updates, and revised legal challenge routes for nationally significant infrastructure decisions. Development corporations gain standardised duties to have regard to sustainable development, climate change and good design, plus clarified infrastructure powers.

Money and outcomes are linked. The nature restoration levy will fund the conservation measures set out in each EDP and must be spent on the feature and area the plan covers-details will be locked in by secondary regulations. This is one new stream in a much larger nature finance picture: the Green Finance Institute estimates a £44–97bn funding gap for UK nature over the next decade, with England bearing the largest share.

Natural England moves into a more strategic role, administering, implementing and monitoring EDPs, with a statutory duty on other public authorities to co‑operate. The first annual report covering these functions is due from 1 April 2026. Local Government Association analysis welcomes catchment‑scale solutions but flags risks if the same body designs plans and regulates delivery, and calls for longer public consultations.

EDPs will not replace existing biodiversity requirements. Biodiversity Net Gain is already mandatory in England and requires most developments to deliver at least a 10% uplift in biodiversity value, measured via the statutory metric and maintained for 30 years. In practice, BNG will sit alongside any EDP-a project may need to meet both.

What might this look like on the ground? In a river catchment, an EDP could bundle fish passes, wetland creation and riparian shade to deal with multiple small impacts from new homes, industry and roads. Recent sightings of young Atlantic salmon in northwest England underline how targeted restoration can pay off-and how removing barriers helps recovery.

Why urgency matters is clear. The State of Nature partnership reports UK species abundance down 19% on average since 1970, with nearly one in six species at risk of extinction in Great Britain. EDPs will only earn public trust if they measurably reverse those trends with transparent baselines and regular, open reporting.

For councils, the next eight weeks are a chance to line up Local Nature Recovery Strategies, catchment priorities and datasets so they’re ready the moment draft EDPs are notified. For developers, early budgeting for the nature restoration levy-alongside BNG and on‑site design tweaks-will reduce risk. Community groups should watch for draft plan notices and bring local evidence on priority habitats and access to nature.

Safeguards matter. Under the Act, where a developer commits to an EDP levy, certain wildlife licensing or Habitats Regulations duties may be treated as discharged for the impacts covered by the plan-so the strength of the plan, the quality of its monitoring and the independence of its oversight are critical. The Secretary of State must approve each EDP; once made, challenges are typically time‑limited to a short window.

Alongside EDPs, the Regulations streamline parts of land assembly for infrastructure via general vesting declaration changes and simpler newspaper notices-tools intended to quicken delivery of grid, water and rail projects. Used well, that speed can be paired with better nature outcomes when early, strategic measures are pre‑funded through the levy and tracked in the open.

The fine print: the levy’s rates, eligible spend and reporting templates will be set in forthcoming statutory instruments; Defra has trailed a Nature Restoration Fund delivery approach to operationalise payments and plan governance. Expect Natural England to publish consultations as early EDPs are scoped, followed by clear dashboards so progress can be tracked by residents, councils and investors alike.

This is a pragmatic reset: faster decisions where impacts are known and manageable, with conservation work done at the scale nature functions. The Regulations were signed by Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook at 2.20pm on 18 December 2025. The early powers took effect on 19 December 2025, main provisions go live on 18 February 2026, and the first year of formal reporting starts on 1 April 2026.