Angela Rayner, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, together with Steve Reed, the secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, have written a letter to nature conservation organisations hoping to win their support for house-building developments.
“When it comes to the planning system’s role in providing the nature and housing we need, we know that the status quo is not working,” the ministers write. “Environmental assessments and case-by-case negotiations of mitigation and compensation measures often slow down the delivery of much-need housing and infrastructure. Meanwhile, the condition of our environment, and even our most important habitats and species, has declined over a sustained period. This is a lose-lose situation, for our economy, the public and for the natural environment.”
The letter continues: “We are determined to transform the system to ensure a win-win for housebuilding and nature. We want to use the value gained from enabling development to proceed quickly and smoothly to support nature recovery – and to do so in a way that gives everyone involved greater certainty….
“We recognise that we are only likely to the right answer by working closely with you – organisations with longstanding experience of what it takes to improve environmental outcomes on the ground. That is why we have sought to engage with you immediately with a view to ensuring a constructive dialogue over the coming months as to the best way forward. We therefore look forward to working with you over the coming weeks, in a spirit of partnership that we hope will mark a change from the past 14 years.”
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