'We're not killing newts!' Rayner hits back at green groups over housing reform

ITV News

28-05-2025

The housing secretary has insisted the government is protecting wildlife in its charge to build 1.5 million new homes, despite sweeping deregulation allowing some builders to sidestep biodiversity rules.
Angela Rayner, who is also the deputy prime minister, told ITV News "nobody's killing wildlife" when the concerns of environmentalists were put to her, while she was visiting a development to announce her reforms.
Among the plans is a move to take decision-making powers away from local councillors on small building projects, and hand them to unelected officials, in a bid to cut red tape and speed up the approval process.
Trained planning officers, rather than committees of elected councillors, will be responsible for deciding on developments of up to nine homes under the plans, as well as most minor and technical applications.
Minor developments will also benefit from eased biodiversity requirements, meaning builders would avoid having to pay to boost local nature habitats.
Building projects with 10 to 49 homes would fall in a new category for medium-sized developments, with fewer costs, simplified biodiversity net gain rules and an exemption from the building safety levy.
But environmentalists are angry, saying the proposals will give builders a licence to kill wildlife.
The boss of the Wildlife and Countryside Link claimed that exempting small sites from biodiversity rules would "mean almost three-quarters of developments face no requirement to compensate for nature loss – let alone enhance it".
But Rayner was adamant that "nobody's killing wildlife. What we're doing is we're protecting nature."
She added: "We've got a nature recovery fund which will help to preserve nature. But we're also saying, look, we can't have situations where thousands of homes are being blocked because we haven't built the reservoir, because we haven't dealt with issues like nutrient neutrality.
"We've solved those problems so we can get on and build the houses, because I want to protect newts, but I want to make sure that kids have got a place to live and I've got 160,000 children in temporary accommodation."
Wildlife and Countryside Link CEO Richard Benwell added: 'These changes could leave the Biodiversity Net Gain system dead in the water and, with it, the Government's main guarantee of nature-positive planning.
'Biodiversity Net Gain is there to ensure that local communities aren't robbed of the green spaces that make places better to live in, and that developers can't take from nature without giving something back.
'This should be the rule, not the exception. Government shouldn't turn back the clock to the days of damaging development, but ensure a level playing field for all developers to contribute to growth and nature restoration.'
The CEO of the RSPB, Beccy Speight, said: 'It's now clear that the bill in its current form will rip the heart out of environmental protections and risks sending nature further into freefall.
'The fate of our most important places for nature and the laws that protect them are all in the firing line. The wild spaces, ancient woodlands, babbling brooks and the beautiful melody of the dawn chorus – it's these natural wonders that delight people all over the country and support our physical and mental health that are under threat. That cannot be allowed to stand.'
Meanwhile, the Conservatives hit out at plans to give unelected officials the decision over small planning applications.
'The reality is that Labour are stripping councillors of the right to vote on local planning applications, concreting over green belt and withdrawing support for first time buyers. Even the OBR say Labour won't meet their housing target," said Shadow Secretary of State for Local Government Kevin Hollinrake MP.
His reference to support for first time buyers appears to refer to a temporary relief on stamp duty, introduced during the Covid pandemic which returned to normal levels in April.
The party also seemed to claim migrants needing housing in the UK would prevent British people from accessing new houses.
"As long as Labour's immigration conveyor belt continues those homes will be of little benefit to the British public," Hollinrake added.
Rayner denied that migrants would get priority access to new homes, telling ITV News that people on temporary visas do not have the same rights to buy as British citizens.
"It's astonishing that the Tories are putting out that claim when they saw record levels of immigration into the UK," she said. "It's completely bogus.
"People that come to this country on work, our student visas do not have access to the housing, and neither do people who have no right to be here.
"So that's rubbish. What we're doing is trying to resolve a housing crisis that has been 14 years in the making, because the Tories were too busy cozying up to their mates on their backbenches, as opposed to looking after the people of this country."
The housing secretary also insisted the government is on course to achieve its aim of building 1.5 million new homes, despite warnings from local authorities and others who have said the goal is unlikely.
After listing other housing reforms, including the National Planning Policy Framework, the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and putting £2.8 billion into the Affordable Homes Programme, she said: "So we're on track. It's a difficult target. We always knew it would be."
"But we're putting shoulders to the wheel and we're grinding through it to build those houses that people desperately need."
The government is also seeking to support smaller building firms by offering £100 million in accelerator loans.
A new National Housing Delivery Fund to be confirmed at the spending review will support long-term finance options – such as revolving credit – for small and medium sized enterprises.
And more land will be released exclusively to them by Homes England, the public body that funds new affordable housing.
A new consultation on reforming planning committees under the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, proposes delegating most minor and technical applications to planning officers in order to leave committees free to consider the most complex and controversial developments.
Under the plans, applications would be categorised as Tier A, which would go to officers, or Tier B, which would be considered by committees of councillors if deemed necessary.
It is also launching consultations on biodiversity net gain rules for minor, medium and brownfield developments and on planning thresholds for small and medium housing sites.