Nature not a blocker to housing growth, inquiry finds

"Perkins said: The government's target to build 1.5m homes by the end of this parliament is incredibly ambitious. Achieving it alongside our existing targets on climate and sustainability which are set in law will require effort on a scale not seen before. That certainly will not be achieved by scapegoating nature, claiming that it is a blocker' to housing delivery. We are clear in our report: a healthy environment is essential to building resilient towns and cities. It must not be sidelined."

"Nature is not a blocker to housing growth, an inquiry by MPs has found, in direct conflict with claims made by ministers. Toby Perkins, the Labour chair of the environmental audit committee, said nature was being scapegoated, and that rather than being a block to growth, it was necessary for building resilient towns and neighbourhoods. In its report on environmental sustainability and housing growth, the cross-party committee challenged the lazy narrative, which has been promoted by UK government ministers, that nature was a blocker or an inconvenience to delivering housing."

A cross-party committee found that nature is not a barrier to housing growth and that ministers have been scapegoating environmental protections. Nature and green infrastructure are necessary for building resilient towns and neighbourhoods. The committee identified severe skills shortages in ecology, planning and construction as the real obstacles to meeting housebuilding ambitions. The government's 1.5m homes target is highly ambitious and must be achieved alongside legally binding climate and sustainability targets. Delivering homes requires addressing skills gaps and integrating healthy environments rather than sidelining nature.

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