![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://uknews.evprotec.com/get-a-grip-on-greener-housebuilding-and-pollution-rules-government-told/&media=https://uknews.evprotec.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/131139931_housebuilding.jpg&description=Image source, PA Media Image caption, The committee warned that housebuilding targets and environmental ambitions were at risk The government must "get a grip" on its "haphazard" implementation of environmental rules on housebuilding, a new House of Lords report warns. The Built Environment Committee says there is a "real risk" the government will fail to deliver both its housing targets and environmental ambitions. The criticism comes a day after Rishi Sunak announced a major shift in key green policies. The government said it would consider the committee's findings. But environmental groups said that housebuilding should never come at the expense of the natural environment. An inquiry by the cross-party Lords committee heard that 45,000 new homes a year might not be delivered as a result of current "nutrient neutrality" pollution rules. It was the Lords last week that voted down a government attempt to amend the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill, that would have scrapped those rules, which require housebuilders to ensure new developments do not add to the overall amount of river pollution. Image source, Getty Images Image caption, "Nutrient neutrality" rules mean developers must prevent or offset water pollution. Thursday's committee report said the government is failing to provide sufficient support to smaller developers dealing with nutrient neutrality rules, which now risk putting them out of business. Lord Moylan, chairman of the Built Environment Committee, said the government's current approach to managing any conflict between housebuilding and environmental needs "is failing to deliver for either side". "Our inquiry found that the achievement of the government's housing policies has been hampered and sometimes completely blocked by lack of co-ordination in policy-making and haphazard and unbalanced implementation," he said, "A government that sorted this out with proper leadership and got things lined up could, over time, give us the sort of environmental){kind=link}
The government must “get a grip” on its “haphazard” implementation of environmental rules on housebuilding, a new House of Lords report warns.
The Built Environment Committee says there is a “real risk” the government will fail to deliver both its housing targets and environmental ambitions.
The criticism comes a day after Rishi Sunak announced a major shift in key green policies.
The government said it would consider the committee’s findings.
But environmental groups said that housebuilding should never come at the expense of the natural environment.