Notification of intention to prepare Environmental Delivery Plans: letter from Natural England to the Secretary of State
Published 22 December 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
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From: Marian Spain, CEO of Natural England
To: Emma Reynolds, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Date: 19 December 2025
Environmental Delivery Plan notification
Dear Secretary of State,
The Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (Section 64(1)) requires the Secretary of State to be notified and said notification published when Natural England decides to prepare an Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP).
This letter is to notify you that Natural England has decided to prepare 23 EDPs in England:
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Natural England is preparing sixteen (16) EDPs for nutrient pollution from development affecting protected sites (Annex A)
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Natural England is preparing seven (7) EDPs for great crested newts (GCN), for development (including infrastructure) in England where GCN are materially present (Annex B)
Following the Ministerial commitment during the passage of the legislation, the first EDPs that Natural England will consult on and submit as final draft EDPs in accordance with the statutory process, will relate to nutrient pollution only. Natural England is, however, preparing a number of EDPs in parallel; noting that the Government has committed to not making any EDPs beyond nutrient pollution before making a statement to Parliament setting out the initial learnings from the development and implementation of the first EDPs. This will allow for a test and learn approach to be taken.
I am copying this letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Natural England will now publish this notification.
Yours,
Marian Spain
CEO of Natural England
Annex A – EDPs for nutrient pollution
| Catchment | Type of nutrient pollution |
|---|---|
| Peak District Dales SAC | Phosphorus |
| Poole Harbour SPA/Ramsar | Nitrogen |
| River Avon SAC | Phosphorus |
| River Axe SAC | Phosphorus |
| River Camel SAC | Phosphorus |
| River Clun SAC | Nitrogen and Phosphorus |
| River Eden SAC | Phosphorus |
| River Kent SAC | Phosphorus |
| River Lambourn SAC | Phosphorus |
| River Lugg SAC | Phosphorus |
| River Mease SAC | Phosphorus |
| Solent SAC/SPA/Ramsar (including River Itchen SAC) | Nitrogen (and Phosphorus for the River Itchen SAC) |
| Somerset Levels & Moors Ramsar | Phosphorus |
| Stodmarsh SAC/Ramsar | Nitrogen and Phosphorus |
| Teesmouth & Cleveland Coast SPA/Ramsar | Nitrogen |
| The Broads SAC/Ramsar (including River Wensum SAC) | Nitrogen and Phosphorus |
Annex B – EDPs for GCN
| Environmental Delivery Plans for great crested newts | Indicative counties covered |
|---|---|
| East of England | Norfolk Suffolk Essex Cambridgeshire Hertfordshire |
| North East & Yorkshire | Northumberland Tyne & Wear Durham North Yorkshire East Riding of Yorkshire West Yorkshire South Yorkshire |
| North West | Cumbria Lancashire Greater Manchester Cheshire Merseyside |
| East Midlands | Derbyshire Leicestershire Nottinghamshire Greater Lincolnshire Rutland |
| South West | Wiltshire Somerset Bristol Dorset Devon |
| West Midlands & Central | Shropshire Staffordshire Herefordshire Worcestershire West Midlands Warwickshire Gloucestershire Oxfordshire Buckinghamshire Northamptonshire Bedfordshire |
| South East | Kent Greater London Surrey Berkshire Hampshire & Isle of Wight West Sussex East Sussex |