Developers set to pay pollution offset to get Britain building

Developers may no longer have to mitigate potential environment harm on a site-by-site basis as part of fresh plans to overhaul the planning system. The government has announced a new nature restoration fund as part of its reform of the planning system, in a move that it said would enable developers to meet their environmental obligations more quickly and with greater impact. Under the new rules developers will be required to pay to offset any pollution caused by their projects by paying into the nature restoration fund, instead of having to secure mitigation for environmental harm before being granted planning permission. A delivery body, such as Natural England, will then take responsibility for securing positive environmental outcomes, such as delivering a reduction in nutrient pollution affecting the water environment or securing habitats to increase the population of a protected species. Deputy prime minister and secretary of state for housing Angela Rayner said the changes would allow development to happen quicker. “Getting Britain building means stripping away unnecessary barriers to growth to deliver the homes that we so desperately need,” she said. “For years, vital housing and infrastructure projects have been tied up in red tape leaving communities without the homes, infrastructure and jobs they need.” She called the changes a “win-win” for developers and the environment. Environment secretary Steve Reed said: “We were elected on a mandate to get Britain building again and protect nature. But the status quo is blocking the building of homes and failing to protect the environment. These reforms will allow tens of thousands of homes to be built while protecting the natural environment we all depend on.”    Under the new rules, the government will lead a single strategic assessment and delivery plan for an area – not an individual site – which, it said, will allow decisions to be made at an appropriate geographic scale. A public delivery body will then consider which actions are needed to address the environmental impact of development across an appropriate area and will determine how much developers will pay into the nature restoration fund. It will then secure the actions funded by developers, removing the need for actions to be taken on a case-by-case basis.  Chair of Natural England Tony Juniper said: “It is evident that we need to take urgent action to address the worsening decline of nature, and we must also lean into the challenges posed by housing shortages. The two key issues of today, nature and economic recovery, should not be pitted against one another, as we step up efforts to avoid losing what protected remnants of nature remain while also restoring some of what has gone.” He added: “Instead, we should consider the huge opportunities which can be unlocked through better strategic planning which considers environmental improvements, economic development and green spaces for public enjoyment on a landscape scale”.  Image © ANDY RAIN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock