A cross-party parliamentary committee has challenged ministers’ claims environmental protections are blocking Britain’s housebuilding plans, directly contradicting the Government’s repeated assertions about nature rules and delays.
The Environmental Audit Committee’s report, published today, rejects what it calls a “lazy narrative” which frames conservation as an impediment to growth.
MPs argue that environmental considerations are necessary for creating sustainable communities rather than barriers to development.
The findings counter ministerial suggestions that wildlife protections are obstructing the target to build 1.5 million homes by 2029.
Instead of nature rules holding back construction, the committee identifies entirely different pressures as the real constraints on housebuilding.
It states healthy environments are fundamental to creating resilient towns and neighbourhoods across the country.
Labour MP Toby Perkins, chair of the committee, insisted nature was being unfairly blamed for housing shortfalls.
“The Government’s target to build 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliament is incredibly ambitious,” he said.
A cross-party committee has disputed ministers’ claims that environmental rules block housebuilding, contradicting the Government’s stance
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“That certainly will not be achieved by scapegoating nature, claiming that it is a ‘blocker’ to housing delivery.”
The committee found that critical workforce shortages in ecology, planning and construction represent the genuine threats to building new homes.
It concluded skills gaps, not environmental regulations, form the primary obstacles to meeting national housing ambitions.
“We are clear in our report: a healthy environment is essential to building resilient towns and cities. It must not be sidelined,” Mr Perkins stressed.
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| GB NewsThe report comes as the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which will allow developers to bypass on-site environmental requirements by paying into a central nature recovery fund that would finance improvements elsewhere, reaches its final parliamentary stages.
MPs warned the Bill’s current framework could place the Government’s legally binding goals to halt nature’s decline by 2030 and reverse it by 2042 at risk.
The committee said treating environmental protections as obstructions could harm both housing delivery and conservation progress.
“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.
It cited unclear policies, land banking and workforce shortages as the true drivers of construction delays.
The investigation highlighted severe capacity problems within essential regulatory agencies.
Evidence showed Natural England staff were “at breaking point”, while local planning authorities lacked sufficient ecological expertise.
Testimony revealed that the specialist skills required to implement ecological planning reforms were missing on the scale required.
The workforce needed to deliver assessments and mitigation measures does not exist in adequate numbers.
These shortages pose further difficulties as Natural England takes on expanded duties under the proposed legislation.
The body would manage the national nature restoration fund while also regulating developers who contribute to it, prompting concerns about conflicts of interest.
The committee heard ecological expertise within the system falls sharply short of what is required for modern planning demands.
It warned this capacity gap must be addressed if housing and environmental goals are to be met.
A Government spokesman defended ministers’ approach, claiming the previous system had failed both nature and the housing sector.
Labour have blamed the previous Tory Government for inheriting a failing system
| GETTY“The Government inherited a failing system that delayed new homes and infrastructure while doing nothing for nature’s recovery,” the spokesperson said.
“We are fixing this with landmark reforms, including the Nature Restoration Fund, that will create a win-win for the economy and the environment.”
The Government insists its reforms will enable Britain to build the 1.5 million homes required to support homeownership while protecting nature.
Ministers maintain that the Nature Restoration Fund offers a balanced approach which serves both development and environmental needs.
The committee’s recommendations include incentivising carbon-friendly construction, retrofitting existing homes and expanding green manufacturing.
It also proposes adjustments to taxation to support eco-friendly development across the sector.
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