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

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to legislate to remove or amend any nutrient neutrality rules restricting housebuilding.

Nutrient neutrality advice affects 8% of national housing delivery or 14% of England’s land area, equating to 16,500 dwellings per year if housing delivery were to remain at recent levels. The Government is committed to finding solutions to support the building of homes affected by nutrient neutrality without weakening environmental protections. We are working with nature organisations, other stakeholders, and the sector to determine the best way forward. If legislation is required for the purposes of enabling development to fund nature recovery where currently both are stalled, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will provide the necessary legislative underpinning to unlock a win-win outcome for the economy and for nature. We will only act in legislation where we can confirm to Parliament that the steps we are taking will deliver positive environmental outcomes. We will conduct a full impact assessment ahead of any changes to legislation.