Asked by: Lord Cameron of Dillington (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the delay to building new houses caused by uncertainty about how to mitigate against the production of phosphate and nitrate nutrients; and what steps they are taking, if any, to tackle this issue.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
We have not made an assessment of the duration of delays to new development caused by uncertainty over nutrient mitigation. The Government is committed to delivering the homes this country needs and is striving to level up all parts of the country. The Minister for Housing and Minister for the Environment co-chair the nutrients taskforce which draws on input across government including Natural England and the Environment Agency. This taskforce works to ensure a clear action plan is in place, focusing on solutions for supporting housebuilding to resume without compromising the condition of Protected Sites. This includes work with water companies and regulators, who have an important role to play to tackle nutrient pollution and support the building of new and sustainable developments. As set out in ‘The Benefits of Brexit’ we are also considering how habitats regulations could be amended to help address problems with nutrient pollution.