More than seven per cent of all of England’s planned house
building cannot go ahead due to river pollution levels, with
further house building banned in other areas because of low water
levels, analysis by the Local Government Association (LGA)
reveals today.
The LGA said its new analysis is a wakeup call on the need to
protect our special habitats but said that limiting new
developments alone will not be enough to improve the state of
English rivers. This is because the majority of pollution is
caused by agriculture and water companies.
Councils want to work with the Government, water companies and
farmers to clean up our rivers and reduce pollution to levels
required by the Habitats Directive law, which was established to
protect nature and bio-diversity. This can only be done by
reducing pollution at source and delivering sustainable
production of food and clean water
The new LGA analysis shows 23 councils have more than 90 per cent
of likely house building areas impacted by the law. Forty
councils have more than a quarter of their likely house building
impacted. Almost a third of building in the whole of the
Northeast of England is impacted.
Together around 20,000 new homes a year will not be able to be
built unless developers and councils can prove they will produce
no additional pollution, and with few quick fixes the numbers of
homes prevented from being built could hit 100,000 in the coming
years.
In the meantime, councils are working on short-term solutions,
and some have managed to put in place nature-based schemes that
can offset the environmental impact of new housing so that
developments can go ahead. The LGA said this needs to be easier
for councils as the current system is challenging, lengthy and
uncertain.
Without long-term action on river clean up these special habitats
will remain in challenging circumstances and the building bans
will continue to have profound impacts in many places, halting
growth and infrastructure, job losses, and hitting council
finances.
Cllr David Renard, environment spokesperson for the LGA
said:
“Councils want safe, clean, thriving natural environments
alongside the sustainable development of housing, growth and
jobs.
“It is concerning and frustrating that pollution levels in some
rivers have reached a point to trigger bans on building around
20,000 new homes each year, over seven per cent of all England’s
likely new house building.
“People need homes, schools and doctors’ surgeries, and people
also need a safe and clean environment.
“Councils are working tirelessly to enable house building while
upholding high environmental standards. However, they cannot
achieve this alone. We need to reduce pollution at source, which
predominantly originates from water treatment and farming.
“The Government and its agencies, house builders, the
agricultural sector and water companies must all come together
with councils to find short-term solutions while doing everything
we can to reduce pollution at source."
Notes to editors
