Housing Secretary Steve Reed has urged Labour MPs to oppose a House of Lords amendment to the government’s new planning bill, which aims to safeguard British wildlife and natural habitats from development-related harm.
The amendment, passed with a strong majority in the Lords, seeks to exclude protected species such as dormice, otters, badgers, hedgehogs, and nightingales, as well as fragile habitats including wetlands and ancient woodlands, from the government’s proposal to ease environmental rules for faster housebuilding.
Under the draft legislation, developers would be allowed to bypass traditional environmental assessments by paying into a national nature recovery fund instead of undertaking detailed environmental surveys and mitigation work before construction begins. Critics argue this system effectively allows developers to pay to overlook ecological safeguards — a move described by environmental groups as cash to trash.
If accepted, the Lords’ amendment would narrow the use of the nature recovery fund to projects related only to water and air pollution. This would mean developers must still comply with existing regulations to protect wildlife and habitats from direct damage.
Reed, however, has advised Labour MPs to reject the proposal when the bill returns to the House of Commons on Thursday for its final debate before becoming law.
In an open letter to MPs, leading nature charities including the Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB warned that the government’s rollback of environmental protections lacks any sound scientific or ecological foundation. They stated that there is no credible evidence that such a scheme could be expanded nationwide without risking severe ecological harm and legal uncertainty, while also raising costs for developers and landowners.
Earlier this week, The Guardian reported that Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook have held numerous meetings with property developers regarding the planning bill. Reeves has yet to meet with any environmental organisations or professional ecological bodies, while Pennycook has only met with four — compared with sixteen meetings with major developers.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government defended the bill, saying it aims to remove barriers to building much-needed homes and infrastructure. They added that the proposed amendment would unnecessarily restrict the benefits of the nature recovery fund, which is designed to support both environmental restoration and economic growth.
According to the department, the legislation already includes safeguards to ensure environmental delivery plans remain effective while helping to accelerate housebuilding across Britain.
