13 March 2026
Today, the Government announces its response to the Nuclear Regulatory Review. The Review made highly deregulatory recommendations aimed at speeding up nuclear development, raising serious concerns for environmental protections. In particular, it risked weakening the Habitats Regulations, the cornerstone legislation protecting Britain’s most important wildlife sites and species.
Richard Benwell, Chief Executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, says:
“The Government is walking a risky path by reinterpreting rules that have protected wildlife for decades. Today, government seems to have avoided the most dangerous deregulatory recommendations in the Nuclear Regulatory Review, but lots of detail is still to come, and we're left waiting for the long-promised wins for wildlife.
“The law as it stands is effective, but it's not enough to restore nature. Any changes must focus on making implementation faster and more effective, without deepening the wildlife crisis.
“At a time when government’s own assessments show nature is critical for national security and the economy, Ministers must urgently act to deliver on their manifesto promise to reverse the decline.”
This announcement comes after 100 MPs and leaders from the environment sector wrote to the Secretary of State urging them to reject the flawed recommendations made in the Fingleton Review. Read the letter here.
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