Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of nutrient neutrality credit costs on the affordability of new housing developments.

In December 2023, the previous government awarded Dorset council £4.63m in Round 1 of the Local Nutrient Mitigation Fund to support the delivery of local nutrient mitigation schemes that would provide mitigation and unblock stalled development.

The present government awarded Poole Harbour a further £100,000 in Nutrient Support Funding in Autumn 2024.

These funds are intended to be used and recycled locally in a way which helps to unlock housing while mitigating the effects of nutrient pollution.

The government has not made an assessment of the potential impact of the scheme on affordability.