Earlier this week, Government published a new policy paper for England on ensuring that regulators and regulation support economic growth.
The Government posits that “the current regulatory landscape is not functioning as effectively as it should. Our system now too often holds back growth and inhibits private sector investment. Whilst countries such as Singapore and Australia have continued to improve their regulatory systems, the UK has fallen behind.” And that “One of the clearest manifestations of this is the high associated administrative costs for businesses arising from activities such as filling out forms or from overly onerous and disproportionate reporting requirements.”
To address these challenges, the Government says that it will overhaul our regulatory system so that it:
The reforms will apply to all bodies exercising regulatory powers and functions, with the Government committing to cutting “administrative costs for business by 25% by the end of the Parliament”.
CIEEM is pleased to see Government recognise “that statutory consultees need to be resourced adequately, and on a sustainable basis“, however we are deeply cautious of the notion that a ‘lead regulator’ can make decisions on behalf of other regulatory bodies on matters that it may have no expertise in.
And we are perplexed by the desire to remove reference to a long-standing, industry best practice standard such as the Bat Conservation Trust’s Bat Mitigation Guidelines. We support BCT’s view that the removal of these guidelines is “alarming“, where they note that “These guidelines were developed through months of consultation with leading bat experts and government agencies. They provide a flexible, evidence-based framework to ensure developments are both practical and environmentally responsible. Good planning protects nature and enables development. Scrapping these guidelines would create confusion and increase delays, not reduce them.” And that “It is inconceivable that this guidance is just removed without any consultation or explanation.” According to ENDS, Natural England intends to publish updated bat guidance “soon“.
Posted On: 20/03/2025
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