Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask His Majesty's Government why Natural England have continued to block development for new homes since March 2022 in over 70 local planning authority areas.

Natural England’s role is to conserve and enhance the natural environment. This includes providing statutory advice on the impacts of plans and projects on protected sites based on the best available evidence. Natural England cannot block development but competent authorities, such as Local Planning Authorities (LPAs), must have regard to Natural England’s advice and act in accordance with applicable legislation and case law.

Nutrient pollution is an urgent problem affecting a wide range of habitats and species. Due to the excess levels of nutrients affecting many protected freshwater habitats and estuaries, Natural England has been required to advise 74 LPAs in England that new development cannot result in additional nutrient pollution. One way this can be done is through nutrient neutrality, by which developers secure mitigation for any additional nutrient pollution they are responsible for within the catchment.

The Government is committed to delivering housing in affected areas and are supporting local authorities and developers to identify suitable mitigation. There are several ways in which LPAs can satisfy themselves that planning permission can be granted.

The first credits from Natural England’s Nutrient Mitigation Scheme have now been sold in the Tees & Cleveland catchments. More credits will be available in the Tees this year and work is underway to identify suitable projects in other catchments. Several catchments also have successful mitigation schemes operated by local authorities or private organisations. A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Call for Evidence and Expressions of Interest for funding for local nutrient mitigation schemes closed recently, and funding decisions will be made as soon as possible.