A Ministry of Housing spokesperson said the government is addressing a “failing system” with landmark housing reforms, promising a solution that benefits both the economy and the environment.
The Labour government has pledged to build 1.5 million new homes in England by 2029 as part of its efforts to tackle the housing crisis and stimulate economic growth.
Planning Reforms to Accelerate Housebuilding
The proposed reforms aim to simplify the planning system to speed up construction on smaller sites, even if this means overriding existing habitat and nature protections.
If passed, the draft legislation—currently in its final stages in Parliament—would allow developers to invest in general environmental improvements and contribute to a nature restoration fund for improvements elsewhere, rather than directly protecting habitats on-site.
Experts Warn Nature Is Not a Barrier
The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has argued that protecting nature is essential for building resilient communities, not an obstacle to housing development.
“Using nature as a scapegoat means that the government will be less effective at tackling some of the genuine challenges facing the planning system,” the report said.
The EAC recommends the government address skills shortages in ecology, planning, and construction instead of compromising environmental safeguards.
“The government must not veer down the path of viewing nature as an inconvenience or blocker to housebuilding,” the report said.
“In most cases, housing delivery is delayed or challenged due to unclear and conflicting policies, land banking and skills shortages.”
Promoting Green Construction and Sustainable Homes
The committee also suggested providing incentives to build or live in carbon-friendly homes and retrofitting existing properties.
Other recommendations include boosting the manufacturing of eco-friendly construction products and adjusting tax policies to support sustainable housing development.
Environmental Groups Criticise Planning Bill
Friends of the Earth criticised the government’s approach, calling for better prioritisation of housing and nature.
Paul De Zylva, nature campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “This report shows that the Planning & Infrastructure Bill is bad legislation that neither provides the quality homes people need nor truly protects our already depleted nature.
“Instead of attacking newts, bats and our nature laws to justify its growth-at-any-cost agenda, the government would be better focusing on delivering against its legal targets for nature which are at risk of being missed.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government 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.”
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At Natural World Fund, we are passionate about restoring habitats in the UK to halt the decline in our wildlife.
