There is a real risk that the Government will miss both its
housing targets and its environmental ambitions. It should be
possible to deliver both new development and improve the
environment, but a lack of leadership and poor implementation is
limiting opportunities to do this.
The Government needs to show a strong display of political
leadership to deliver and implement a comprehensive strategy for
both development and the environment. Housebuilding targets
should be given statutory weight, giving them an equal status
with environmental goals.
These are the among the conclusions of a new report, ‘The impact
of environmental regulations on development’, published today by
the cross-party House of Lords Built Environment Committee.
During its inquiry the committee heard that 45,000 new homes per
year may not be delivered because of recent Natural England
advice on the nutrient, water and recreational applications of
the Habitats Regulations. At the same time, 61% of the country’s
Sites of Special Scientific Interest are in an unfavourable
condition.
The pollution of our water courses has its sources in poor
agricultural and sewage management practices over decades – yet
the burden of mitigating this is falling on new, often
desperately needed, housing.
The Government is failing to provide sufficient support for
smaller developers. Effective moratoria on housebuilding caused
by advice such as nutrient and water neutrality risk putting
small developers out of business in affected areas. All public
sector development mitigation schemes should prioritise provision
for small and medium-sized developers.
These developers are also being disproportionately burdened by
the new requirement to deliver biodiversity net gain. By allowing
them to deliver offsite solutions and ensuring demands are not
made ahead of statutory deadlines the Government can ensure these
vital local businesses are able to survive.
Brownfield development is being stymied by the interaction
between planning permissions and permitting. The Department for
Levelling Up, Housing and Communities should work with the
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to review
planning and permitting requirements for brownfield land and
eliminate overlap.
Communication and guidance available for developers is often
unclear or lacking. The committee heard an example of where
Government went against its advisory body’s recommendation that
guidance should be issued in advance of the effective moratorium
on housing. The Government and statutory bodies must meaningfully
consult local planning authorities on new advice and policy which
will have an impact on their decision making as competent
authorities.
, Chair of the Built
Environment Committee, said:
“The current approach to managing any conflict between new homes
and the needs of the environment is failing to deliver for either
side.
“Our inquiry found that the achievement of the Government’s
housing and environmental policies has been hampered and
sometimes completely blocked by lack of co-ordination in
policy-making and haphazard and unbalanced implementation.
“There is no way the Government can deliver on its housebuilding
targets unless it is brave and displays the political leadership
necessary to deliver and implement a comprehensive strategy for
both development and the environment.
“A good starting point would be to give housebuilding statutory
weight which would ensure it has equal status with environmental
goals. After that, coherent, cross-government plans should be
developed to address major pollutants and to ensure that money is
expended where it will have the most impact. This cannot happen
overnight. We must be prepared with a long term plan.”
Other findings and conclusions from the report include:
- The committee heard evidence of unresponsiveness,
time-consuming duplication, delay and overlapping
responsibilities on the part of Government Departments and of
Natural England and the Environment Agency. It heard of
Integrated Plans which lacked a strategy for their
implementation. The committee encountered a confusing and unclear
policy landscape where Government guidance has made the situation
worse, not better.
- The current approach is not effectively protecting or
improving the environment. Local habitats and species are not
fully understood or considered in the round, isolated pockets of
mitigation are not addressing system-wide pollution or the
ingrained impact of historic decisions.
- The lack of managed credit-purchase mitigation schemes for
specific pollutants or in certain areas is restricting
developers' ability to gain planning permission. Mitigation
networks, organised by Natural England, should be created to
share expertise and learning between affected local planning
authorities.
