Development across large swathes of England has been halted by a legal requirement that new homes do not pollute nearby wetlands and rivers.
Last month, 42 English local authorities were notified They must ensure that their new homes are nutrient neutralThey do not add harmful nitrates and phosphates river catchments or protected areas such as the Eden Valley in Cumbria and the River Camel in Cornwall to the water supply.
These areas are near protected sites, such as special areas for conservation (SACs), and planning authorities are unable permit any new applications until developers prove that they aren’t adding to nutrient pollution.
Natural England, the governments conservation watchdog has already ordered 32 local authorities to show that they are not causing any additional pollution of protected areas following a 2018 court decision to protect EU-designated conservation zones.
Algal blooms can be caused by nutrient contamination. These algal blooms reduce oxygen in the water and kill fish. Excess nutrients can be emitted from sewage works that are overloaded. Rainwater runoff from roads and new developments can also contribute to the problem.
According to the Home Builders Federation, 120,000 homes have been delayed by the delay. Nutrient neutrality rulesThere are 74 local authorities, and 42,000 homes have been delayed in the greater Norwich region.
Some areas, like the Solent, have mitigation measures in place. Developers can purchase nitrate credit from landowners, including environmental charities, who use the money for rewilding farms and pollution-absorbing wetlands.
However, many local councils feel they haven’t been given sufficient notice to allow new developments and so are unable to meet their new housing targets. There are no housing shortages in Norfolk no mitigation schemes established yetAll development without planning permission must be halted Within the catchment area of the River Wensum & the BroadsBoth contain dangerous levels of nutrient polluting.
Rosie Pearson was supportive of the governments’ demand for nitrate neutrity. She is the chairperson of the Community Planning Alliance, a grassroots campaign group for sustainable development.
It’s a rare instance of the public protection system doing what it should. With councils bound to their five-year housing supply target and one government department saying, “Build, build and build,” and then Natural England or Defra going: You cannot build, you are harming the ecosystem, it is a complete mess.
Pearson stated that creating new wetlands was the best way to mitigate nutrient contamination. Although all these wetlands are great for nature, the government ignores the underlying problem: the sewage system.
Housebuilders warn that the measures could result in developers spending upwards of 5,000 per home, and delay will be caused by council housing and affordable homes. A study done in Somerset revealed that urban environments contribute 4% to nutrient pollution. The vast majority of this is due to farming and sewage discharges.
James Stevens is the director of cities at the Home Builders Federation. He stated that it was essential to create a consistent and standardised approach to water neutrality to get rid of the growing blockage it is creating to housing supply.
We are asking government to immediately agree to proportionate measures to reflect the contribution of housing delivery. This situation has been ongoing for years. It is urgent that solutions be found and implemented immediately.
In the Solent where nutrient-neutrality rules were first implemented in 2018, it took 18 month for mitigation sites to be established. However, Natural England claimed it would take less time for the 42 new local authorities since there was a nutrient calculator as well as 100,000 funding to help developers and councils find solutions.
Developers have been able to purchase nutrient credit in South Hampshire to enable the construction of over 3,000 nutrient-neutral homes.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust(HIWWT has used credit to buy Two farms totaling 450 acresIn the Solent catchment, rewilding fertilised land that had been causing nutrient polluting, restoring biodiversity, and removing 25% more than the credits required.
It is working, stated Debbie Tann, chief executive of HIWWT. This means that development can mitigate its effects, but it’s important to acknowledge the terrible effects of pollution in our Solent. Just doing this will not clean it up. We must address the real problem: farming, reducing fertilisers and water companies needing to deal with sewage discharge.
Natural England has taken a positive step, but government must also address the other issues.
Melanie Hughes, The director of sustainable development at Natural EnglandAccording to the report, all affected protected wetland areas were in unfavorable condition due to nutrient contamination. For example, stinking mats made of algae that cover salt marsh in Solent, which prevent wading bird from eating in the mud,
She said that we cannot continue to pollute these areas. We are pleased that we used nature-based solutions to solve the problem. These solutions have much greater benefits.
