Government risks missing both housing and nature targets, MPs find
The Government risks missing both its housing and nature targets under its proposed reforms, a cross-party group of MPs has warned in a new report.
The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) found that the measures outlined in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which is currently passing through the final stages in Parliament, are not enough to allow the Government to meet either goals.
In the report, published on Sunday, the EAC argued that nature is not a “blocker” to delivering housing but a necessity for building resilient neighbourhoods.
The group also found that without further action to address skills shortages in ecology, planning and construction, the Government will miss its housebuilding goal.
The Bill overrides existing habitat and nature protections, which the Government has suggested to be a barrier to its target to build 1.5 million houses by the end of this Parliament as well as wider economic growth.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Chancellor Rachel Reeves have previously argued that current nature rules have gone too far, often citing the example of a £100 million bat tunnel for the construction of the HS2 railway route.
The draft legislation, if passed, would instead allow developers to make general environmental improvements and pay into a nature restoration fund that improves habitats on other sites.
Toby Perkins, chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee, said: “The Government’s target to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament is incredibly ambitious.
“Achieving it alongside our existing targets on climate and sustainability – which are set in law – will require effort on a scale not seen before.
“That certainly will not be achieved by scapegoating nature, claiming that it is a ‘blocker’ to housing delivery.
“We are clear in our report: a healthy environment is essential to building resilient towns and cities. It must not be sidelined.”
Mr Perkins said issues that stand in the way include skills that do not exist at the scale needed, with staff at local authorities and regulators already stretched to their limit.
He also argued that ministers should introduce better incentives for people to build and live in “carbon-friendly homes”, or to retrofit existing ones.
“It is possible to build the homes we need while protecting a resilient and healthy environment, and allowing nature to thrive,” he said.
“Some major changes might be needed, but nature is not the enemy.”
In the report, the committee outlines a series of recommendations aimed at boosting manufacturing viability of green construction products and alter the tax burden to support eco-friendly homes.
The MPs welcomed the Government’s acceptance of an amendment to the Bill that would mean large-scale water projects could be considered nationally significant infrastructure.
Another amendment to ensure that electric vehicle-charging points are accessible for those with disabilities was replaced with a Government revision of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018, which could see regulations used to impose accessibility.
But the EAC said these changes are not enough on their own to ensure the Government can meet its environmental targets alongside housing targets.
“The Government must not veer down the path of viewing nature as an inconvenience or blocker to housebuilding,” the report noted.
“At worst, this approach could lead to the degradation of the natural world, preventing the achievement of legally-binding climate and nature targets, upon which our society and economy depend.”
A Government spokesperson said: “The Government inherited a failing system that delayed new homes and infrastructure while doing nothing for nature’s recovery.
“We are fixing this with landmark reforms, including the Nature Restoration Fund, that will create a win-win for the economy and the environment.
“This will get Britain building the 1.5 million homes we desperately need to restore the dream of homeownership, and not at the expense of nature.”
By Rebecca Speare-Cole, PA Sustainability Reporter