Government scraps pollution rules to unblock housebuilding but concerns remain

Over 100,000 homes held up due to defective EU laws will be unblocked between now and 2030, delivering an estimated £18 billion boost to the economy, the government has claimed.

Currently, legacy EU laws on nutrient neutrality are blocking the delivery of new homes, including cases where planning permission has already been granted.

Nutrients entering our rivers are a real problem, but the contribution made by new homes is very small. These laws which originate from Brussels put a block on new homes in certain areas - taking away control over what is built, and when, from local people.

Through an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, the Government will do away with this red tape and allow for the delivery of more than 100,000 new homes desperately needed by local communities. Thanks to the government’s action, it is expected that developers could begin construction on these homes in a matter of months.

The move comes alongside new environmental measures that will tackle pollution at source and restore habitats, says the government.

Although welcomed, the decision has also sparked concern about the short-term impact in particular.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, environment spokesperson for the LGA said: “Thousands of new homes are on hold due to river pollution and water level concerns so we are pleased that the Government has acted on our calls for urgent action and funding to address pollution at source.

“However, short-term local solutions are still needed to address environmental concerns about river pollution. Councils are calling for a doubling down on long-term action to protect rivers by focusing reducing pollution at source.

“Councils want to work together with government, agencies, developers and the agricultural sector to find ways address pollution locally so homes can be built, while doing everything possible to reduce pollution at source and maintain safe water level.”

Sam Rees, Senior Public Affairs Officer at RICS, said the amendment in the Levelling-Up Bill provides and should help tackle planning backlogs - something RICS members have repeatedly referenced as a barrier in creating new homes.

“Overcoming these existing bottlenecks is crucial for meeting housebuilding targets, although we recognise that this cannot come at the detriment of the environment,” he continued.

"The UK needs further investment towards mitigation and treatment works in our waterways, as well as a push to build greener, more energy-efficient homes that significantly limits resulting pollution."

The proposed changes includes significantly expanding investment in and evolving the Nutrient Mitigation Scheme run by Natural England, doubling investment to £280m to ensure it is sufficient to offset the very small amount of additional nutrient discharge attributable to up to 100,000 homes between now and 2030.

Natural England will work with local authorities, the private sector and others to tackle nutrient pollution and work towards the long term health and resilience of the river systems.

The Government intends to work with the house building industry to ensure that larger developers make an appropriate and fair contribution to this scheme over the coming years, and is discussing the right structure and approach with the Home Builders Federation.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove MP said: “We are committed to building the homes this country needs and to enhancing our environment. The way EU rules have been applied has held us back. These changes will provide a multi-billion pound boost for the UK economy and see us build more than 100,000 new homes.

“Protecting the environment is paramount which is why the measures we’re announcing today will allow us to go further to protect and restore our precious waterways whilst still building the much-needed homes this country needs.

“We will work closely with environmental agencies and councils as we deliver these changes.”

Executive Chairman of the Home Builders Federation, Stewart Baseley said the announcement has the potential to unlock housing delivery across the country. He maintained that housebuilding has been blocked despite wide acknowledgement that occupants of new homes are responsible for only a tiny fraction of the wastewater finding its ways into rivers and streams.

“The industry is eager to play its part in delivering mitigation and protecting our waterways,” he added “We look forward to engaging with government on the right way to do so, now that ministers are acting upon the arguments that builders both large and small have been making for so long.

“With some areas having been blighted for four years, the prospect of a swift resolution will be much-needed good news for companies on the verge of going out of business, their employees and for households most affected by housing affordability pressures.

“Builders will be able to bring forward otherwise stalled investment in communities and get spades in the ground so we need Parliament to get this solution onto the statute book.”