Pollution rules criticised for raising new home costs
A council has warned that regulations aimed at limiting pollution are increasing the cost of new homes and may result in housebuilding targets being missed.
Developers in regions such as the Somerset Levels face additional expenses to mitigate the impact of new housing on watercourses. Somerset Council has written to the regulator requesting amendments, arguing that the rules are excessive and no longer proportionate.
Natural England rejected this request, stating that the environmental condition of the area continues to deteriorate.
In South Wiltshire, another region under restrictions due to polluted water, some farmers are implementing their own measures to reduce pollution.
Why Somerset is under phosphate restrictions
Excess phosphate levels caused the Somerset Levels and Moors to be officially designated as having "unfavourable declining" status in 2021.
Phosphate pollution originates from human sewage and animal waste.
Where sewage systems are insufficient, restrictions are imposed on new housing unless additional mitigation measures are introduced to prevent further harm to rivers and wetlands.
Developers report that these requirements can add thousands of pounds to the cost of constructing a new home.
'Sledgehammer to crack a nut'
Wessex Water has made significant improvements to Somerset's sewage system in recent years, reducing the risk of overflows causing phosphate pollution.
The councillor responsible for housing delivery in the county argues that the rules have not adapted to these changes.
Mike Rigby described the restrictions as
"a sledgehammer to crack a nut".
He expressed frustration, stating,
"It's incredibly frustrating. Housing is having a much smaller impact than it ever has done, but we're still saddled with these rules."
The government has increased the housebuilding target for Somerset to 75,000 homes over the next 20 years.
Natural England maintains that the rules remain necessary to protect vulnerable habitats.
"We're losing the species that are really rare and special here because of the excess nutrients,"said Claire Newill, the organisation's Wessex deputy director.
Responding to claims that the restrictions are excessive, she added,
"Clean water's a problem that we all need to be concerned about. Housebuilding is one of the sectors that's contributing."
Pollution from farming
Natural England acknowledges that a larger proportion of phosphate pollution is caused by farming activities.
Excrement, especially from cattle, as well as fertilisers washed off fields, pose significant problems for watercourses.
In South Wiltshire, another area subject to restrictions due to polluted water, a group of farmers are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact.
"We've been encouraged to reduce all the time by fencing cattle away from riverbanks, so they don't tread the banks and defecate in the river,"said Henry Collins, of the Wylye Valley Farmers.
"A lot of our meadows don't have any fertiliser on any more."
National housing targets at risk
Despite these efforts, the pollution regulations remain in effect, with housebuilders warning that they affect the viability of development projects.
"It's simply unviable to build, unprofitable to build in large parts of the country,"warned James Stevens of the Home Builders Federation.
He and others caution that these restrictions make the government's target of 1.5 million new homes during this Parliament very difficult to achieve.
