Government publishes Environmental Outcome Reports consultation response

On Friday 13 March government published a response to the 2023 consultation, released by their predecessors, focused on Environmental Outcome Reports (EORs). EORs aim to streamline the process for environmental assessments, replacing the current Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs).

EIAs and SEAs can currently be thousands of pages long, leading to relevant information being lost, in complex documents. The new system aims to reduce the quantity and duplication of evidence to improve the clarity of reports.

EORs will introduce an “outcomes-based approach”, providing clear reasoning as to whether a project supports the delivery of environmental outcomes.

Government published a roadmap¹ for the changes, split into three phases for the implementation. These include setting the outcomes, reforming the process and a final transition period.

Updates to the system will be implemented by the end of 2027, with a phased transition. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Act introduces EORs to legislation, with much of the detail to be introduced in future consultation, regulations and guidance expected before implementation.

View the consultation response² and roadmap³ published by government.

13,000 homes approved at brownfield site in London

Councillors at Barking and Dagenham council have approved plans for over 13,000 additional homes at the Barking Riverside site based in east London.

The Barking Riverside site will be delivered Barking Riverside Limited, a joint venture between L&Q and the Mayor of London.

The approval follows a previous approval on the site for almost 7,000 homes in 2007.

Combined the two approvals will result in 20,000 new homes on the site. Around 3,000 of the homes originally approved have already been built.

The most recent application, submitted in October 2024, specifies for 13,046 homes with 52,848 square metres of non-residential space. It was anticipated that the land used was expected to be built on following the original approval.

Contributions of £11 million towards transport and £2 million towards active travel will help support the infrastructure surrounding the project.

The project will provide 12% affordable housing, split between social rent and intermediate rent, this has potential to rise up to 35% depending on the scheme’s profitability.

Providing 13,000 homes will have a meaningful impact towards meeting London’s housing growth, with L&Q’s chief executive stating that the site will “represents our long-term plans to tackle the housing crisis in London.”

You can read more on Show House⁴

County and unitary councils have raised concerns that the government’s proposed planning reforms may weaken local decision-making and leave rural communities more exposed to speculative development.

The County Councils Network (CCN) highlighted that changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) could override local policies, limiting councils’ ability to manage development effectively, especially in smaller settlements.

Andrew Husband, housing and planning spokesperson at the CCN, said: “If the government implements these ‘one size fits all’ policies that supersede local decision-making in tandem with its housing targets and its reintroduction of the five-year land supply, then rural and county areas could face a developer free-for-all at a time when their infrastructure is already buckling under the strain.”

He added: “Government should rethink its approach and ensure that housing growth is matched by investment in roads, public services and local infrastructure.”

The government has emphasised that local voices will remain central to planning decisions, with reforms intended to support housing delivery in the most suitable locations.

You can read more on Inside Housing⁵

Concerns raised over infrastructure planning alongside housing growth

Concerns are growing over whether infrastructure planning is keeping pace with housing delivery, as around 800 new homes are approved near Felbridge, Surrey.

Local representatives warn the developments could add pressure to already congested roads, particularly at key junctions.

“They're either going to try to join the queue to go through the junction which is already over capacity, or they're going to route themselves along the B roads and take out villages and so on to rejoin the network somewhere else.”

Mid Sussex District Council said infrastructure needs are often planned years in advance, highlighting the difficulty of aligning delivery with future demand.

“Planning authorities and residents are frustrated with a planning process that is not fit for purpose, but we have to work within the statutory framework we are given,” Eggleston added.

You can read more on BBC News⁶

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/environmental-outcomes-reports-a-new-approach-to-environmental-assessment/outcome/environmental-outcomes-reports-roadmap-to-reform
2. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/environmental-outcomes-reports-a-new-approach-to-environmental-assessment/outcome/environmental-outcomes-reports-a-new-approach-to-environmental-assessment-government-response
3. https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/environmental-outcomes-reports-a-new-approach-to-environmental-assessment/outcome/environmental-outcomes-reports-roadmap-to-reform
4. https://www.showhouse.co.uk/20000-home-barking-riverside-scheme-granted-outline-planning-permission/news/
5. https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/county-and-unitary-councils-believe-governments-planning-reforms-will-weaken-local-voices-and-put-rural-areas-at-risk-96291
6. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp9m3mln5yjo