Government unveils plans to unlock over 15,000 new homes

Plans to unlock up to 15,780 new homes in Norfolk will be published today in a first test of a new government approach to winning public consent for housebuilding.  

The plans, drafted by Natural England under the Nature Restoration Fund, are part of a win-win approach to housebuilding and nature restoration, delivering the healthier wetlands and waterways people want to see in their communities alongside new housing developments.  

Rather than paying for piecemeal and costly nature mitigations as required under previous regimes, the scheme in Norfolk will see developers fund large scale improvements to rivers and wetlands across the county, which are home to species such as otters, water voles and wetland birds, and visited by millions of people each year.   

The first local blueprint, known as an Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP), will be published for consultation today by Natural England and is designed to tackle pollution in rivers and waterways across Norfolk. Pollution has been a major barrier to building new homes in parts of the county, with developers having to commission costly surveys and mitigation measures which have not done enough to restore the natural environment at scale. 

This instead gives developers a cost-effective way to deliver more effective nature restoration through a simple levy payment. This money paid by developers will then be administered by Natural England and used to deliver conservation measures at scale, improving water quality and wetlands in Norfolk, including in the iconic Norfolk Broads. 

The plan will also create new opportunities for Norfolk farmers, landowners, and private organisations to work with Natural England to deliver conservation measures to support nature recovery. 

The area earmarked for new homes and nature restoration includes the River Wensum, Bure Broads and Marshes, and Yare Broads and Marshes catchments, covering a substantial part of central and eastern Norfolk. 

Environment Secretary Angela Eagle said:  

People know there's a housing crisis and that we must build more homes to tackle it. But people also want to live in communities they can be proud of, with thriving green spaces everyone can enjoy. 

This government rejects the false trade-off between delivering infrastructure and restoring our environment. 

Our plans are a win-win for development and nature, unlocking thousands of new homes and raising millions to improve our natural environment.

Natural England Chief Executive Marian Spain said:  

The EDP represents a new way to protect nature while also supporting growth. Instead of tackling pollution piecemeal, site by site, we can now deliver conservation measures that make a real difference for rivers, wetlands and wildlife across Norfolk.  

This will help restore the natural systems that underpin our security and protect our wellbeing, giving developers certainty that the money they need to spend is making a positive contribution to local communities.

Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook said:

The Nature Restoration Fund established by our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Act will move us beyond the sub-optimal status quo and unlock a win-win for development and nature.

Today's publication of the first draft Environmental Delivery Plan demonstrates in practice how the Fund will unlock and accelerate development while going beyond neutrality to drive nature recovery.

The consultation is open for 28 working days, and Natural England is inviting responses to help shape the final EDP before it is submitted to the Secretary of State.   

Natural England is also developing EDPs for other areas of the country where housebuilding is impacted by nutrient pollution in rivers. Further detail on these will be published shortly.  

Additional information:

• The Environmental Delivery Plan, published for consultation today, sets out the conservation measures Natural England will deliver to ensure an overall improvement to nature, as required by law, and the contribution developers will need to make to use the EDP. Crucially, these measures will not simply offset the impact of development but will deliver greater environmental benefits to Norfolk. 

• The measures include restoring rivers, creating wetlands and managing fens and reedbeds. These measures will improve and reconnect habitats across the Broads and Wensum, benefiting Norfolk's most iconic species, including otters, white-clawed crayfish, bitterns, marsh harriers and fen orchids.  

• The EDP has been developed in conjunction with local authorities and other local partners to reflect the environmental priorities in Norfolk. 

• The EDP provides a strategic delivery plan to support up to 15,780 homes across Norfolk and the charges developers will pay to take part. It provides certainty and a streamlined process; with developers paying a simple, flat rate to fund environmental improvements in Norfolk. The money is ringfenced and will be spent on conservation measures in Norfolk as well as long term monitoring and maintenance. 

• The consultation is open for 28 working days, and Natural England is inviting responses to help shape the final EDP before it comes into force. The requirement to consult on each Environmental Delivery Plan will ensure that communities, developers and environmental groups are able to properly scrutinise Environmental Delivery Plans before they are made.   

• Natural England has notified the Secretary of State that they are developing Environmental Delivery Plans for other areas of the country affected by nutrient pollution. Further detail on the timelines for future Environmental Delivery Plans will be published shortly. 

• Natural England, MHCLG and Defra have recently published guidance on using the Nature Restoration Levy process and we will be publishing further guidance in due course on other elements of the new system.