The Planning & Infrastructure Bill - Lords, Report Stage

21 Oct

Our last chance to put climate action at the heart of the Bill

21 October 2025

The planning system is vital in achieving our net zero future and in securing the climate resilience of communities. It is at the heart of giving people a real voice in tackling the climate crisis. That is why Lord Ravensdale’s amendment 114 supported by Lord Krebs, Baroness Young and Baroness Parminter is vital to our economic success, and to the safety and survival of future generations.

Earlier this year, the OECD published a report highlighting the economic benefits of tackling climate change, noting that under a scenario with robust climate mitigation targets aligned with global agreements, global GDP could grow by 60% by 2040 compared to 2022. The recent report from the CBI found that the net zero sector is “growing three times faster than the overall UK economy.” Spatial plans that frame development in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation will drive the green economy. This will be through requiring green technology in new homes, planning for and consenting renewables and electric transport, and adapting our built environment for mitigation and adaptation.

We cannot adapt easily to the disruptive impacts of climate change – already these are costly and life-threatening, whether it be urban heat, flooding, sea level rise, or extreme storms. The latest Climate Change Committee letter is stark in its warning that the UK should be prepared for the impacts of 2 degrees of warming – having implications for heat and flood – impacts that the UK’s spatial planning system is uniquely placed to address.

Our primary mitigation strategy, of moving to a fully renewable energy system and electrifying heating and transportation is putting pressure on the grid. The need to think about local resilience in grid networks and efficiency, including demand management, requires a place based approach through local plans and spatial strategies that also align with NESO’s forthcoming Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.

Bioregional and others have developed tools to help local authorities complete carbon budgeting at a local level. These tools demonstrate that it is possible to understand and act to address mitigation through a spatial plan’s contribution to national budgets. Creating an evidence base at a local level will justify and support the transition to a green economy through mitigating emissions and adapting to change and ensure that local and strategic plans align with our national carbon reduction commitments.

The OECD’s report on climate also notes the economic imperative of adaptation: “By reducing the risk of climate-induced events, an Enhanced NDC scenario could prevent significant economic losses and increase global GDP by up to 3% by 2050 and up to 13% by 2100.” More development in England is also at risk of being consented in high flood risk areas because of a change to planning practice guidance which reduces instances when the sequential test is required. This and other changes means flood risk is just another consideration in the planning balance rather than the definitive gateway test developers had to pass before 2012 to allow them to propose sites in higher risk areas. This demonstrates the need for consistent regulation to safeguard long-term public safety, rather than discretionary policy to try and free up housebuilding and churn out more consents ‘at any cost’.

The scale of the challenge for coastal communities facing sea level rise has also not been properly acknowledged or addressed through local or spatial plans yet. Making it a legally binding consideration to formulate plans in line with the latest available data on flood risk and coastal change would avoid the future costs in the range of billions (GBP) in terms of impact to the economy, to households and to the Government.

Overall, we do not accept that a binary choice exists between economic growth and taking action to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The OECD report confirms that robust action on climate mitigation and adaptation will increase growth and prevent significant economic losses, whilst inaction will increase vulnerability to climate impacts and their costs.

Please support amendment 114.

Signed:

Naomi Luhde-Thompson, Director, Rights Community Action

Rick Hebditch, Co-ordinator, Better Planning Coalition

Mike Childs, Head of Science, Policy and Research, Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland

Sue Riddlestone OBE, Chief Executive, Bioregional

Hugh Ellis, Director of Policy, TCPA

Georgina Holmes-Skelton, Head of Public Policy, The National Trust

Ruth Bradshaw, Head of Policy and Research, Campaign for National Parks

Elli Moody, Director of Policy and Advocacy, CPRE – the countryside charity

Chloe Fletcher, Head of Policy and External Affairs, Chartered Institute for Housing

Christopher Hammond, Chief Executive, UK100