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A review of environmental rules in England may relax requirements for developers to enhance wildlife habitats in order to streamline the process of building homes on smaller sites, according to government plans. The Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements, which mandate compensation for any nature lost on housing developments, are under scrutiny to reduce costs for smaller housebuilders while still contributing to wildlife habitats. These proposed changes are part of a larger housing reform package to be unveiled by the government.
Housing Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner is leading the charge to simplify the planning system and accelerate house-building on smaller sites. Plans include easing BNG requirements for minor developments of up to nine homes and authorizing trained planning officers (rather than councillors) to approve them. Additionally, sites with 10 to 49 homes could potentially be exempt from a tax aimed at funding the removal of hazardous cladding. The government aims to support smaller firms, which have seen a decline in market share over the decades.
Rayner emphasized the urgent need to revamp the system to benefit smaller housebuilders, leveling the playing field and promoting construction in Britain. Contrastingly, the shadow secretary for local government, Kevin Hollinrake, criticized Labour’s approach, alleging that it would diminish local decision-making power and undermine support for first-time homebuyers. These policy adjustments are intended to assist the government in meeting its target of constructing 1.5 million new homes by 2030.
Efforts to meet the house-building target have emphasized the significance of BNG, which became compulsory under the 2021 Environment Act in February. The requirement mandates a 10% net improvement in biodiversity over a 30-year span. While the home-building industry has embraced BNG, challenges such as resource shortages and guidance inadequacies have emerged. Conservation groups caution against exempting small sites from BNG, warning that it could undermine nature compensation requirements and the government’s commitment to ecological sustainability. In conjunction with reviewing BNG, the government plans to allocate £100 million in loans to assist smaller house-building firms
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