Government is right to review environmental policies.
The Government has appointed Dan Corry to lead a review of DEFRA’s regulations and regulators. His role will be to explore where DEFRA is equipped to drive economic growth, secure private sector investment, and protect the environment, as well as to identify areas for improvement.
Richard Beresford, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Builders (NFB), said:
“This review is long overdue. The previous government took a very siloed view of environmental regulation and despite regular engagement, including with committees, the views of the construction sector were broadly ignored. This has not only created a more challenging landscape for development but has also led to worse environmental outcomes.
The Government aims to position DEFRA as a key economic growth department, with Corry assessing stakeholder engagement and advising on how regulatory reforms can:
- Boost private sector investment in the water sector, creating tens of thousands of jobs and speeding up the delivery of infrastructure to clean up water pollution and enable economic growth.
- Transform regional economies through the development of a circular economy by reusing more existing materials, reducing waste across key sectors such as construction and packaging, lowering import costs for businesses, and cutting carbon emissions.
- Develop pragmatic solutions that are needed to build the homes and infrastructure this country needs, while also protecting and improving environmental outcomes.
- Strengthen economic resilience in communities requiring better flood defences.
- Drive rural economic growth by cutting red tape for farmers and boosting Britain’s food security.
Rico Wojtulewicz, Head of Policy, and Market Insight at the NFB, said:
“If the previous Government had listened to the housebuilding industry, Nutrient Neutrality would have delivered cleaner water, and Biodiversity Net Gain would have focused more on biodiversity, rather than broad habitats. Growth and the environment have been treated as zero sum, when they are anything but.
For the past six years, the NFB has been extremely active on environmental policy – engaging with the Government and its committees, publishing articles, and creating guidance for policymakers, such as our ‘Building in Biodiversity’ document. We have even dedicated editions of our Housebuild Magazine to environmental issues, sending them to MP’s so that they understood the complexities involved. We, therefore, wholeheartedly welcome Mr. Corry’s appointment and hope we get a chance to talk through the growth-inhibiting, business ending, and environment-styling policies of the last six years.”
