Environmental exemptions for smaller sites hailed as ‘sensible’ solution

Back in May Construction News reported  that the UK Government plans to strip back environmental restrictions on smaller developments in a bid to accelerate housebuilding had been welcomed by construction leaders as heralding a more proportionate approach to environmental regulation.

But nature bodies warned the move left biodiversity net gain (BNG) protections “dead in the water” as the majority of schemes would no longer be compelled to compensate for the loss of nature.

It came just three months after 40 leading housebuilders, investment firms and environmental groups, including Wates, wrote an open letter to the government emphasising “the importance of maintaining and expanding the world-leading policy”.

The plans would see BNG requirements slackened for all “small site” housebuilding projects – those containing up to nine dwellings – and for developments of between 10 and 49 homes, which would come under a newly created “medium site” category.

A working paper issued for consultation sets out proposals to remove and streamline “disproportionate requirements” on small and medium sites, while maintaining and strengthening obligations on major developments.

For the smallest sites, BNG conditions would be reduced – “including the option of a full exemption” – which the government said aligned with the proportionate approach taken to wider requirements, including affordable housing.

Developments falling under the new medium category would also see their BNG requirements simplified under the proposals.

The government said it was considering how to “[reduce] administrative and financial burdens for SME developers and [make] it easier for them to deliver BNG to help restore nature on medium sites by consulting on applying a revised simplified metric for medium sites”.

The planned changes were welcomed by the National Federation of Builders, which said the new size thresholds would allow regulatory regimes to operate more proportionately.

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Views are being sought on the government’s approach through a consultation by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on BNG implementation for minor, medium and brownfield development.

The department is consulting separately on requirements for nationally significant infrastructure projects, with measures due to come into force from next May.

Both consultations close on 24 July.