Axing River Pollution Rules Won't Solve Homes Crisis, Say Developers

Michael Gove's plan to repeal water pollution rules in an attempt to kickstart housebuilding will not solve England's housing crisis, developers have warned, thanks to delays in implementation and other planning burdens.

- Kiran Stacey Helena Horton

The housing secretary announced yesterday that he intends to remove the regulations regarding nutrient levels in rivers, prompting outrage from green groups but relief from housebuilders, whose shares promptly rose.

But while developers have campaigned for years for an end to the rules, they warned that amending the levelling up bill to do so risked months of delays given opposition to several parts of the expansive legislation.

A spokesperson for the Home Builders Federation said: "After four years the proposals are a welcome step towards a solution, but clearly the bill still has some way to go and we are potentially many months from unlocking sites and starting construction work."

They added: "While this ultimately may remove one major barrier to housing supply, it is no silver bullet and the government's approach on planning remains an even greater constraint alongside mortgage availability in the current economic environment."