Legislation, policy and regulations

This chapter provides an overview of wildlife and planning legislation, the current policy surrounding the superseded Biodiversity Action Plan and the Building Regulations. Guidance from the Government on the implementation of this legislation is given in a series of planning policy guidance. In 2011 the Government published Biodiversity 2020: A Strategy for England’s Wildlife and Ecosystem Services which set out a strategic direction for biodiversity policy. The UK Post-2010 Biodiversity Framework, published in July 2012, is the Government’s response to a change in strategic thinking following the publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020, and the launch of the new EU Biodiversity Strategy in May 2011. In July 2009 the UK Government published The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan: National Strategy for Climate and Energy. This confirmed the Government’s policy that all new homes will be zero carbon from 2016.