Green planning laws to be ripped up

The Prime Minister, Liz Truss, has suggested that green planning laws will be torn up in a move that could see tens of thousands of homes built on protected land.

Government ministers have also drawn up plans for new "investment zones". These areas will give businesses tax breaks and encourage house building in areas of high economic growth.

In a comment from Whitehall it has been suggested that this is a move away from Boris Johnson's "levelling up agenda". That plan had the goal to focus on deprived areas in the North of England.

It is understood that, in order to encourage building, ministers will relax environmental protections within the zones. This will aim to rewrite EU directives that protect newts, toads, and bats from developers.

Officials have drawn up a list of green rules that could be relaxed within the proposed investment zones. Additionally, ministers are preparing to relax "nutrient neutrality", which dictates that councils cannot give planning permission to developments that could result in an increase in the levels of phosphate and nitrate levels in water.

The Government has vowed to axe "Brussels red tape" that affects environmental matters arguing that they have "stalled" housing projects. The Housebuilding Federation say that removing these obstacles will allow a further 100,000 homes to be built across the country.

This equates to a third of the Government's annual target for new houses.

PM Law 

Sheffield Solicitors

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