ENVIRONMENTAL campaigners have condemned British government plans to water down regulations to boost housebuilding in England.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove claimed that scrapping European Union protections on nutrient neutrality “will boost housebuilding.”

Mr Gove saidd that scrapping the EU-era environmental protections will allow for an additional 100,000 homes to be built in England by 2030.

But Wildlife Trusts chief executive Craig Bennett said this showed the government had lied.

“In May, June and July, the government made promises to the British people and to Parliament that they would not lower environmental protections or standards.

“But just a few weeks later they are planning to do precisely the opposite. They lied — this is a disgraceful move which undermines public trust in this government,” Mr Bennett said.

Britain is one of the worst countries in Europe for water quality, he pointed out, “and the public are rightly outraged at our rivers being used as open sewers by water companies. 

“The government has made repeated pledges that they won’t weaken environmental standards and committed just eight months ago to halve nutrient pollution by the end of the decade. 

“Scrapping the rules that are merely trying to stop rivers becoming even more polluted will allow vested interests to make more money at the expense of our rivers and the natural environment.

“This is another broken promise and makes clear that the Prime Minister would rather look after the interests of developers than the environment — money talks,” Mr Bennett said.

The changes are being proposed via an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill which is currently going through the House of Lords.

Under legislation derived from the EU, Natural England currently issues guidance to 62 local authority areas requiring new developments to be nutrient-neutral in their area, meaning developers must demonstrate and fund mitigation to win planning approval in certain areas. 

This requirement will no longer apply under the changes being proposed.

Communist Party of Britain environmental expert Richard Hebbert said the plan would transfer costs from Tory-supporting developers to the taxpayer.

“Once again the government plays off one issue against another, arguing that action to protect the environment prevents the building of much-needed new housing.

“Pollution in Britain’s rivers and waterways is the worst it has been for many years and action to reduce it is an important national concern in terms of public health and the preservation of the habitat of wildlife in and around our rivers. 

“It is therefore depressing, but sadly little surprise, that we learn of government plans to scrap protections designed to limit wastewater from the building of new homes carrying harmful nutrients into particularly sensitive riverside locations.

“Alongside their post-Uxbridge campaign on low traffic emissions, it is another sign that the Tories are abandoning environmental pledges in a crude drive to appeal for votes in the looming general election,” Mr Hebbert said.

Unsurprisingly, the housebuilding industry welcomed the planned change and shares in housebuilders rose sharply on the stock market at the prospect of strict planning rules being eased.

Greenpeace UK policy director Dr Doug Parr said: “Who would look at our sickly, sewage-infested rivers and conclude that what they need is weaker pollution rules? 

“Scrapping or weakening limits on chemicals from sewage and farm run-offs would be a sure sign that ministers have completely given up on saving our great waterways and the precious wildlife they host.

“Instead of allowing housebuilders to cut corners, the Sunak administration should make sure we have the right infrastructure to handle our sewage so we can build new homes without sacrificing our rivers’ health,” Dr Parr said.

Labour’s shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy also criticised the Conservative plan, slamming their record on housebuilding and sewage in England’s rivers.

“The next Labour government will bring an end to the Tory sewage scandal by delivering mandatory monitoring on all sewage outlets, introducing automatic fines for discharges paid for by eroding dividends, setting ambitious targets for stopping systematic sewage dumping and ensuring that water bosses are legally held to account for negligence.”