Weaker building regulations could destroy 215,000 hectares of nature in England, analysis shows
Briefly

Plans to weaken environmental regulations for small housebuilders would enable developers to build on over 215,000 hectares without replacing destroyed nature, equating to the size of the Yorkshire Dales. Environmental economists' analysis indicates that approximately 97% of planning approvals would escape the biodiversity net gain requirement if Labour's proposal is enacted. These rules were designed to combat severe nature depletion in the UK, which ranks among the most nature-depleted countries globally. The proposed changes would significantly hinder the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation efforts, compromising the goal of increasing biodiversity.
The planned weakening of environmental regulations for small housebuilders could allow for the construction on an area larger than the Yorkshire Dales without ensuring biodiversity restoration.
Environmental economists estimate that 97% of planning approvals would fall exempt from requirements to compensate for nature loss under the proposed changes by Labour.
The UK's biodiversity has drastically depleted, and current regulations are intended to help recover nature by requiring developers to enhance biodiversity by at least 10%.
Removing these regulations for small developers would undermine the biodiversity net gain principle which mandates that industries harming nature must contribute to its recovery.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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