Letter published in Eastern Daily Press and Norwich Evening News 1 September 2023
Dear Sir
The news that the government is planning to overturn nutrient neutrality restrictions placed on new housing developments located in the catchments of vulnerable rivers and water bodies is extremely concerning. Waste water from housing developments and agricultural run off containing phosphates, nitrates and other chemicals damages water quality and the wildlife that depends on it. Until now there has been no mention of much needed action to address the agricultural causes, but in March 2022 the government’s own organisation, Natural England, required evidence from councils including those in Norfolk that the known damage caused by housebuilding could be mitigated, with developers footing the bill. Now, it seems, the desire to grow the economy and meet the demands of powerful housing companies will be put first and our environment will suffer. It is hard to believe that new proposals to fund offsetting using taxpayers money and introduction of regulations on water companies and farmers will solve this issue. No river in England is free of sewage, slurry and microplastics and there have been constant failures in monitoring and enforcement of water quality.
We need to build new homes, but primarily they need to be affordable and not contribute to further pollution. In the short term this government policy will enable the construction of thousands of new homes, a large proportion of which will only be accessible to richer sectors of society. In the long term it will leave a very damaging environmental legacy for future generations.
Yours sincerely
Eleanor Laming
