Reaction: Government grants nature a partial reprieve – but risks to wildlife remain - The Wildlife Trusts

UK Government publish their response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review

Today (13 March 2026), the Government has published its ‘plan to overhaul nuclear system will speed up building, strengthen national and energy security, and cut costs’. There have been signs for some months that the Government would use the opportunity to deregulate and replace some of the laws that protect nature. Indeed, the Prime Minister had enthusiastically embraced the idea originally, saying: “…in addition to accepting the Fingleton recommendations… I am asking the Business Secretary to apply these lessons across the entire industrial strategy.”

The Government has pulled back, for now, from a wholesale legal weakening of the Habitats Regulations which protect nature sites and will not now remove the legal duty that helps National Park and National Landscape authorities to protect landscapes – both would have had devastating consequences for what remains of the natural world.

However, deep concerns remain around the implementation of new guidance and consequent risks to nature. Although guidance is proposed in place of legal changes for most of the Habitat Regulation recommendations, there will still be some legislative changes.