On 24th November 2025, the House of Lords debated Commons Reasons and Amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:
Votes: Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Tag: environment
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Bishop of Norwich tables amendments on protection of chalk streams
The Bishop of Norwich tabled a further amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill focusing on the protection of chalk streams on 24th November 2025,, in response to Commons reasons/amendments to the bill:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: At end insert “and do propose Amendment 38B in lieu—
38B: After Clause 52, insert the following new Clause—
“Chalk streams
(1) The Secretary of State must, within 12 months of the day on which this Act is passed, by regulations made by statutory instrument, provide guidance to strategic planning authorities on how they must, in delivering their planning functions, take into account the need to define, protect and enhance chalk stream habitats.
(2) A statutory instrument containing regulations under this section may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.””
My Lords, I am grateful for the strong support that my earlier Amendment 38 gained on Report. Chalk streams are globally rare habitats of which we have 85% in England. We simply must protect them and other irreplaceable habitats, because we have lost so much of this nation’s nature already.
I pay tribute to the Minister for her hard work on the Bill and for engaging with me, the noble Baronesses, Lady Grender and Lady Willis, and the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, together with Minister Pennycook, the Minister for Housing and Planning. I know that the noble Baroness values chalk streams in her native Hertfordshire. I am grateful that she recognises the positive intent of this amendment, and I listened very carefully to the three commitments that she gave. But I am still concerned, even with those commitments.
Continue reading “Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Bishop of Norwich tables amendments on protection of chalk streams”Bishop of Hereford asks about sustainable hydrogen fuel sources
The Bishop of Hereford asked a question on sustainable sources of hydrogen fuel on 19th November 2025, during a discussion on the hydrogen and fuel cell energy industry in the UK:
The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, we accept that the use of hydrogen is to help us to reduce our carbon footprint but recognise that there are a variety of different ways by which that hydrogen can be generated, some of which are environmentally damaging. What steps are His Majesty’s Government taking to ensure that the hydrogen used across UK industry is sourced sustainably and in ways that will reduce CO2 emissions, not increase them?
Continue reading “Bishop of Hereford asks about sustainable hydrogen fuel sources”Bishop of Norwich asks about methods of monitoring methane gas leakage during oil and gas extraction
The Bishop of Norwich asked a question on monitoring methane leakage in the UK during a discussion on ending non-routine offshore oil and gas venting and flaring on 28th October 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, the Minister mentioned our ageing infrastructure. We have become a global outlier in leak detection and repair to stop methane leakages. Norway has monthly checks, the US has quarterly checks and Canada is bringing in monthly checks. What is our policy, and will it mandate these leak detection and repair testing regimes?
Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich asks about methods of monitoring methane gas leakage during oil and gas extraction”Votes: Planning and Infrastructure Bill
On 27th October 2025, the House of Lords debated the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Votes were held on amendments to the bill, in which a Bishop took part:
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Bishop of Norwich tables amendment on chalk stream protections
During a debate on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill on 27th October 2025, the Bishop of Norwich spoke to his amendment on the protection of chalk streams, which “would require a spatial development strategy to list chalk streams in the strategy area, outline measures to protect them from environmental harm, and impose responsibility on strategic planning authorities to protect and enhance chalk stream environments.”
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I shall speak to Amendment 94, and I thank the noble Earl, Lord Caithness, the noble Viscount, Lord Trenchard, and the noble Baroness, Lady Willis of Summertown, for their support. I am most grateful to follow the noble Baroness, Lady Grender, who has just spoken so powerfully about her amendment, as well as offering her support for this amendment. Amendment 94 would require a spatial development strategy to list chalk streams in the strategy area, outline measures to protect them from environmental harm and impose responsibility on strategic planning authorities to protect and enhance chalk stream environments.
Chalk streams, as we have heard, are a very special type of river. Some 85% of the world’s chalk streams are in England. They are fed primarily by spring water from the chalk aquifer, not rain, which means that they have clear, cold water and very stable flows. These globally rare habitats are found in a broad sweep from Yorkshire and the Lincolnshire Wolds through Norfolk, the Chilterns, Hampshire and Dorset. The Bure, Glaven, Wensum, Test, Itchen and Meon are river names that come to mind flowing, as they do, through the tapestry of English history and in our literature, such as the River Pang-based Wind in the Willows. They are rich in minerals, especially calcium, and this “base rich” environment supports a distinctive and rich ecology.
It is no wonder that this amendment and a similar one in the other place have received such positive support, including in your Lordships’ Committee. What it seeks to do is such an obvious thing, for what we love, we should desire to protect; what we value, we should safeguard; what is of global significance, we should be deeply proud of.
Continue reading “Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Bishop of Norwich tables amendment on chalk stream protections”Bishop of Sheffield asks about droughts in South Yorkshire
The Bishop of Sheffield received the following written answer on 15th September 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Sheffield asked His Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to mitigate the impact of the droughts declared by the Environment Agency, with particular reference to South Yorkshire.
Continue reading “Bishop of Sheffield asks about droughts in South Yorkshire”Bishop of Norwich asks about energy and environment
The Bishop of Norwich received the following written answers on 1st September 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich asked His Majesty’s Government what support will be available to schools to decarbonise following the closure of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.
Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich asks about energy and environment”Bishop of Newcastle asks about environmental impact of AI data centres
The Bishop of Newcastle asked a question on the environmental impact of AI data centres during a discussion on artificial intelligence legislation on 21st July 2025:
The Lord Bishop of Newcastle: My Lords, I am very pleased that Blyth in north-east England has been chosen as the site of a new AI data centre. This represents good investment in training and skills and in transport infrastructure. However, data centres have a lot of impact on the environment and local communities, particularly in terms of water shortages. What ongoing assessment has been done of the impact, particularly on water shortages in local communities?
Continue reading “Bishop of Newcastle asks about environmental impact of AI data centres”Bishop of Norwich calls for community-based approach to energy innovation
The Bishop of Norwich spoke in a debate on the National Policy Statement for Energy on 9th July 2025, stressing the need for a community-based approach to energy innovation:
The Lord Bishop of Norwich: My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his introduction, as there are many things within these documents to praise.
They set out a positive direction for future energy infrastructure, which broadly aligns with clean power by 2030 and net zero by 2050. Although I—and, I am sure, many others—welcome a whole-system approach to energy infrastructure planning, delivery has remained fragmented. Let us hope, to coin a phrase, that the wind might now change.
I have just come from the mass climate lobby outside, in Parliament Square. I am not usually someone who joins such events but, for me, it is vital for us to hear the Climate Coalition and the great many people who are raising this issue of climate change and nature loss, because it seems to be slipping down political agendas. Some of the coalition’s aims are to cut bills, back UK jobs and secure a greener, fairer future for all. Another is to restore nature to create a safer and healthier future. With these aims still fresh in my mind from the crowd outside, my remarks will address three areas: first, the cost of connection and district heating networks, especially for those organisations that create the warp and weft of community life; secondly, the capacity of the grid to receive the quantity of renewable energy that we need produced; and, thirdly, mitigating the impact of infrastructure projects on people, nature and landscapes.
Continue reading “Bishop of Norwich calls for community-based approach to energy innovation”
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