Housebuilding

Water Delivery Taskforce maps out water infrastructure upgrades that clear path for planning approval for new housing developments

Environmental regulators responded to almost all consultations and major infrastructure applications within agreed timescales, new official data shows

Projects smaller than 0.2 hectares will be exempt from BNG rules, while major energy projects will move within scope later this year

Insurance giant urges government to publish flood data and strengthen planning laws, warning that number new homes at risk of flooding could reach one-in seven by 2050

Chancellor moves to prevent gap between two rates of Landfill tax getting any wider, rather than creating single rate

Conservation groups warn Planning and Infrastructure Bill and proposals to water down Biodiversity Net Gain scheme are set to badly undermine Labour's pre-election promises to drive nature recovery efforts

Environmental Audit Committee report challenges ‘lazy narrative’ that environmental protection is blocking development

New agreement allows 21,000 homes to be built following concerns over water taken from rivers and wetlands, and risks to protected wildlife - but green groups remain concerned over impact of government planning reforms

Aerated taps, efficient showerheads, and dual flush toilets promise to enable thousands of new developments in support of government plans to to build 1.5 million new homes during the current Parliament

It is possible to minimise the impact on biodiversity of new housing developments, but only if new nature-friendly techniques are embraced