Plans for 140k new homes to be built as Michael Gove slashes eco red tape in development drive

UP to 140,000 new homes could be built under radical plans to slash eco bureaucracy, The Sun can reveal.

Ministers want to unleash a house-building drive by relaxing EU red tape.

Alamy

Red tape preventing property developers building 140,000 homes each year will be slashed by Michael Gove[/caption]

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The Housing Secretary will make hated rules about nutrient neutrality discretionary[/caption]

An edict that any new development must not increase pollution and harm rivers will become discretionary.

The rules passed down from Brussels bureaucrats are responsible for blocking 140,000 homes in specific catchment zones from being built each year.

The Sun understands Natural England rules against “nutrient neutrality” will become guidance only.

Town hall chiefs in affected areas will be given new powers over whether to ignore or follow it.

Meanwhile, property developers may be asked to contribute to a “mitigation fund” to help combat any pollution triggered by a housebuilding revival on greenfield and brownfield land.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove plans to table amendments to the Levelling Up Bill to kickstart the plan.

The move comes three months after Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer vowed to give local authorities more power to build on green land.

One housing industry source told The Sun: “We welcome that after four years the government has finally acted on this issue.

“It’s now key that legislation passes through parliament so more desperately needed homes can be built and before any more house builders go out of business.”

Another housing industry source added: “It’s pleasing to see the Government finally taking action on Nutrient Neutrality, which has paralysed housebuilding in various parts of the country.

“However, it remains to be seen whether this discretionary, and localised, approach will deliver the ‘Big Bang’ on new homes that Ministers think it will.

“Fundamentally, the Government has much more to do if it’s to regain its credibility on housing, economically and electorally.”

A Government spokesperson said: “The Government remains committed to delivering housing in areas affected by nutrient neutrality.

“We recognise the urgency of this issue and have taken substantial steps to both unlock housing now and to address the underlying causes of nutrient pollution at source.”