In Detail, In Brief: Nature Recovery and the Housing Crisis

By some measures, our country counts among the most nature-depleted nations on Earth. The RSPB has identified changing farming practices as the main reason behind the decline in bird numbers. This, and the decline in habitat, has also resulted in native mammals like the water vole, beaver, wildcat and some bat species becoming endangered or critically endangered.

At the same time, Bristol and the wider country is facing a housing crisis of unprecedented scale. Local house prices and private rents have soared over the last nine years and most constituents who contact me for help are living in inadequate, insecure housing which they often cannot afford.  

To tackle this crisis, I was elected on a manifesto which committed to building one and a half million safe and secure homes across the country over the next five years.

Taking on these two issues at the same time might seem a challenge, and the planning system we inherited has failed to either reverse environmental decline or build the homes we need.

Environmental assessments and project-by-project negotiation over mitigation measures often slow down the delivery of much needed housing, adding costs. At the same time, there is little evidence that the millions of pounds spent each year on bespoke measures are effective.

Our new Planning and Infrastructure Bill departs from the current system by establishing a Nature Restoration Fund, directed funded by levies on developers. This will be used by Natural England to create place-specific Environmental Development Plans (EDPs). An EDP will set out the suite of conservation measures that will be used to address the impact of development across a given area. For example, an EDP covering nutrient pollution will set out how the combined effect of the conservation measures will go beyond the current expectations of nutrient neutrality and lead to an improvement in water quality.  

At the same time, the Government is investing more than £2.7 billion into sustainable farming and nature recovery every year from 2026/27 to 2028/29. This is in addition to the Nature Restoration Fund, paid for by developers and has been widely welcomed.

The package of reforms will help ensure both nature recovery, and much needed new homes.