'Bad news for nature' - Wildlife groups fume as plan to review environmental targets welcomed by housebuilders

Under the changes, housing sites with between 10 and 49 homes will face simpler rules, including a relaxed BNG system and a proposed exemption from the Building Safety Levy, a charge on builders which aims to support the ongoing safety of residential buildings.

The Government says it wants to make it easier for "smaller builders to get spades in the ground" ahead of moves to simplfy the planning system, saying it wants a return to the 1980s, when smaller building firms delivered 40 per cent of the country’s homes.

But nature organisations have criticised the move, accusing the Government of 'breaking its promises' on the environment.

South Shropshire-based housing builder SJ Roberts offered a cautious welcome to potential moves to allow smaller housebuilders to benefit from a simpler planning landscape.

“When Labour took office nearly a year ago, it did so with bold promises to boost housing delivery and cut through restrictive planning red tape. But so far, meaningful progress has been limited," said Matthew Roberts, construction director at SJ Roberts Construction.

“Today’s announcement appears to address what has been missing for the last year.

"Recognising the specific needs of smaller developments and introducing a new 'medium' category reflects a better understanding of the sector’s needs, but as always, the real test will be how these plans translate into practical, on-the-ground results.”

Those comments were partly echoed by Matt Beckley, partnerships director at Burntwood-based Keon Homes, one of the region's biggest developers of affordable housing and extra care schemes.

"Obviously, the devil will be in the details but today's announcement is certainly a welcome one. In the 1980s, small and medium-sized house builders were responsible for over 40 per cent of all homes built - now that figure is down to just over 10 per cent and this is in no small part due to the economic pressures from rising build costs and, undoubtedly, planning delays.

"Any reform that can help with planning delays and particularly around Biodiversity Net Gain will be of great benefit, although as a builder committed to 'brownfield first', we would urge the Government to explore new ways and incentives to bring disused land back to life first."

However wildlife groups have reacted with fury to the move, describing the changes as "grim".

Joan Edwards OBE, director of policy and public affairs at The Wildlife Trusts said a potential exemption from BNG rules for smaller housing developments was likely to be "bad news for nature and communities", and was likely to increase nature losses in order to "maximise profit for a few".

"This is yet another appalling example of the Government breaking its promise to put nature at the heart of housebuilding," she said.

"Building developments can have a huge impact on wildlife and it’s only fair they should make up for this by increasing natural habitats onsite or nearby. The UK Government’s proposal to exempt small developments from delivering biodiversity net gain and contributing towards nature recovery fails to recognise the significant cumulative impacts such development can have.

“Small, urban wild places have tangible benefits for society including clean air, flood prevention and the cheerful song of the blackbird – they are vital natural greenspaces for residents. Done well, Biodiversity Net Gain can help development to protect these valued spaces in the first place – or to create and enhance places for wildlife and for communities nearby."

A Government spokesperson said new measures would be in place by May 2026.

"The Government is making available a further £10m this financial year to help local planning authorities implement BNG, on top of £35m provided in previous years," they added.