UK's decision to abandon water pollution regulations for housing development

author: FutureCar Staff    

A water campaigner has criticized Michael Gove's plans to drop laws protecting waterways, calling it an "act of lunacy" that will have long-term consequences. The government intends to change water pollution rules to allow for more housing development, a move that has been described as "absolutely absurd" by environmental campaigners.

Michael Gove, the housing secretary, is planning to scrap nutrient neutrality laws that currently ensure building projects do not harm local wetlands and waterways in protected areas. These laws require builders to prove that their developments will not cause polluting phosphates and nitrates to seep into nearby water.

Developers argue that these laws, implemented in 2017 while the UK was still a member of the EU, have prevented the construction of thousands of homes. However, Mark Barrow, an underwater filmmaker and campaigner against sewage in UK rivers, believes that scrapping these laws is an "act of ecocide" that will further harm rivers and freshwater species.

Barrow emphasizes that prioritizing profits over nature will ultimately lead to the loss of the freshwater aquatic world and have negative consequences in the future. He criticizes the government for not caring about the freshwater environment and warns that once rivers become lifeless, it will be too late to ask if it was worth it.

In response to the potential impact on England's waterways, Michael Gove and Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, plan to provide additional funding to mitigate the effects. This includes grants to farmers and water companies to improve infrastructure and funding for builders to mitigate the impact of their schemes. However, environment campaigners argue that UK rivers are already under significant pressure from excessive nutrients.

The EU regulations that the UK currently follows were implemented to prevent the build-up of damaging algae and other plants that can harm aquatic life. Builders are required to mitigate new nutrient loads caused by housing developments either on-site or elsewhere within the same catchment area. However, developers argue that this process is costly and time-consuming, leading to delays in construction.

Ministers introduced a mitigation scheme last year, allowing builders to buy "credits" to gain approval for their schemes. However, developers have found unintended consequences, such as buying farmland to reduce water run-off. Natural England has provided advice to builders and developers for various habitats sites and local planning authorities.

Charles Watson, the founder and chair of River Action, believes that nutrient neutrality laws provide hope for protected rivers and criticizes the government's decision to roll back on these laws. He warns that if the destruction of rivers continues, the government will face consequences at the ballot box.

The government plans to change the law through an amendment to the levelling up and regeneration bill, currently in the House of Lords. The bill must pass by the autumn, or it will need to be reintroduced in the King's Speech in November. Michael Gove defends the changes, stating that they will boost the UK economy and allow for the construction of over 100,000 new homes, while still protecting and restoring waterways.

FutureCar Staff