Britain Remade responds to latest changes to planning rules

Responding to the Government’s move to stop environmental organisations delaying housing and infrastructure developments Sam Richards, CEO of Britain Remade, said:

“For far too long environmental agencies, like the Environment Agency and Natural England, have been able to hold up and delay the growth boosting infrastructure projects our economy desperately needs. From bat tunnels to fish discos these measures add huge delays to projects, cost hundreds of millions of pounds and do little to protect or enhance nature.

“In our recent report ‘Getting Back What We’re Good At’ we argued that to get Britain building again site by site measures that act as blockers in the planning system should be scrapped, and replaced with a faster, more effective system based on a strategic nature restoration fund. By adopting this measure the government has made a good start to reforming our planning system so it actually gets stuff built and better support nature and the environment.”