UK government admits almost no evidence nature protections block development

Environmental lawyer says it’s deeply frustrating that the Government is pushing major changes to conservation law without supporting data or research

Whitehall analysis provides no data or research to support the government argument that environmental legislation holds up building.

Ministers say the new bill will speed up housing developments and large infrastructure projects by allowing developers to avoid meeting environmental obligations to protect habitats and species such as barn owls, otters, bats and newts, at the site of their project, by paying into a central nature recovery fund (NRF) which will be used to create environmental improvement elsewhere.

Richard Broadbent, Environmental Lawyer at Freeths LLP, says:

“It is deeply frustrating that the Government is seeking to make the biggest changes to nature conservation law this country has seen for decades on the basis of no data or research in support of its key arguments.

“As usual, slashing environmental protections is offered up as a solution because it is easier and sounds rhetorically satisfying to do so rather than because there is evidence that it is needed or will work.

“This is reminiscent of Defra’s Habitats and Wild Birds Directives Implementation Review published in March 2012 not long after the Tories came to power. This Defra report found that of the 26,500 land use consultations Natural England received annually, it only objected to less than 0.5% on Habitats Regulations grounds and most of those objections were successfully dealt with at the planning stage.

“A Natural England information request I carried out in 2022 after the previous Government awarded itself powers to gut the Habitats Regulations in the Environment Act 2021 found that in the year April 2021 to March 2022 out of 32,056 land use consultations, just 15 were objected to on Habitats Regulations grounds (0.045%).

“Like any legal regime, over time reform is needed and the Habitats Regulations is no exception. This, however, should be carried out in a sensible and informed way. For example, rather than remove the protections under the Habitats Regulations new European sites guidance could be issued for example requiring greater proportionality in terms of the “reasonable scientific certainty” which is needed or on what is required for compensatory measures. Greater political support could be given to emerging nature markets, ensuring that they have the integrity and governance needed to ensure they thrive.

“Finally, a great deal of assistance could be provided if the Government invested in funding baseline data to underpin, for example, bat and dormouse district level licensing schemes”.

EAN Breaking News

Breaking News from the team at Estate Agent Networking. Have a new story to share with us? Then please get in contact today! When and where we can we will refer to third party websites with a 'live link back' where news was released first.

You May Also Enjoy

Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove’s weekly mortgage tracker 30/05/25

Average rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Average rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 4.64% +0.03% -0.78% 5-year fixed 4.61% +0.03% -0.45%   Lowest rates for 2-year and 5-year fixed-rate mortgages   Term Lowest rate Weekly change Yearly change 2-year fixed 3.82% +0.02% -0.93% 5-year fixed 3.88% +0.09% -0.55%   Average…
Read More
Home and Living

Carpet Cleaning Specials in Stanton: Save on Your Next Service

Sure, the carpeting in your Stanton home is inviting and adds warmth and comfort, but it can also store harmful dirt, allergens, and bacteria that can affect your family’s health. This makes regular carpet cleaning not only better for your health, but also your wallet. With Carpet Cleaning Stanton specials, you can save on the professional services…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Seven in ten branches now using Rightmove’s insights and training platform

New figures from Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, show that seven in ten estate and letting agency branches are making use of its insights and training platform, the Rightmove Hub. This is up from 56% of branches back in 2023. The Hub, first launched ten years ago and recently revamped, has expanded in response…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

From Fixer-Upper to Profitable Asset: Strategic Renovations for Landlords

Did you buy a fixer-upper? Or maybe you inherited one. Either way, you’re standing in a place with peeling linoleum, a questionable smell, and wallpaper that could file for social security. The big question: Do you patch things up, go full HGTV, or just torch it for the insurance (don’t do that)? First, take a…
Read More
Breaking News

Household Costs Indices for UK household groups: January to March 2025

Household Costs Indices, 12-month growth rates, expenditure shares and contributions for UK household groups and all-households. These are official statistics in development. Main points Overall UK household costs, as measured by the Household Costs Index (HCI), rose by 2.6% in the year to March 2025; this is a fall from 2.9% in the year to…
Read More
Surge in country and seaside property values
Breaking News

Why Rural House Prices Are Surging Faster Than Cities

New analysis from Open Property Group reveals that rural England is facing an affordability crunch, as house prices in the countryside outpace urban growth, despite lower average wages and higher living costs in remote areas. These shifting dynamics are challenging the long-standing assumption that rural life offers a more affordable and sustainable alternative to the…
Read More