Labor to vote against ‘reckless’ plan to repeal residential building pollution rules

Labor is preparing to block the government’s “reckless and irresponsible” plans to relax environmental rules to boost house building.

The House of Lords is expected to vote on Wednesday on repealing EU-era rules that require housebuilders to mitigate the impact of development on river health.

With Labor peers set to vote against the change, it will likely be rejected in the Upper House.

Removing these requirements will “unlock” 100,000 new homes by 2030, ministers say.

But Labor argued the change would increase river pollution.

Current nutrient neutrality rules mean that when developers build new homes in protected areas, they must provide mitigation measures to ensure that no additional new nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, enters rivers and lakes, where they can cause algae blooms that deprive other plants and animals. light and oxygen.

This requirement will be watered down to become guidance under changes proposed through an amendment to the Leveling and Regeneration Bill, currently going through the House of Lords.

Shadow Leveling Secretary Angela Rayner and Shadow Environment Secretary Steve Reed said nutrient neutrality rules pose a challenge to development and “business as usual is clearly not an option “.

But they said weakening environmental laws was not the only way to increase housing supply.

Writing in the Times, Labor MPs said: “We must build the homes people need while protecting the environment we live in.

“Their approach would not only significantly weaken environmental legislation and increase river pollution, but also seriously undermine the emerging market for nutrient pollution reduction, which developers are already exploiting.

“This government has made the housing crisis worse by torpedoing housing supply. Today, he is trying to cover up this failure by evoking a false narrative that opposes the construction of housing to the protection of our natural environment.”

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They indicated other solutions, including asking local authorities to approve applications for building permits subject to nutritional neutrality rules, subject to so-called Grampian conditions.

They said if Labour’s amendment was rejected by the Lords they would vote against the government’s plans.

Leveling Up Secretary Michael Gove tweeted: “Today Labor claims to be the party of home ownership, but tomorrow they plan to vote against laws that would unlock 100,000 homes.

“Sir Keir is seeking to end thousands of families’ dreams of home ownership by playing politics.

“Labor is the party of blockers, not builders. »

Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to “support the builders, not the blockers” if his party comes to power at the next general election.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said: “Labour’s commitment to planning reform has failed at the first hurdle. »