About 150,000 homes are still stuck in the planning system because of water pollution regulations, according to a new report.
Reforms to nutrient neutrality rules were absent from the King’s Speech and last week’s Autumn Statement. The government had tried to push through changes to the rules in September, but the move was thwarted in the House of Lords.
See also: Nutrient neutrality in a nutshell
Infrastructure consultancy Brookbanks, commissioned by the Home Builders Federation, has found that the occupancy of new homes accounts for less than 1% of nitrogen and phosphorus emissions each year.
Farming accounts for 70% of the contaminants released into rivers, with most of the rest coming from wastewater discharged from the existing population.
Brookbanks has concluded that nutrient neutrality rules are a “disproportionate restriction on the construction of new homes”.
