Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (HIWWT) is dismayed at the government’s decision to scrap vital legislation which protects the region’s waterways from yet more pollution.
Natural England’s Nutrient Neutrality regulations ensure that new building developments in designated areas such as the Solent area can be approved once suitable measures are in place to counteract an increase in pollution of our rivers.
But government plans announced this week would see the removal of those crucial protections – placing further pressures on our already severely damaged rivers, chalk streams and the Solent.
Debbie Tann, Chief Executive of HIWWT, said: “The proposed amendments to the Levelling Up Bill will drive a coach and horses through the strongest environmental legislation we have – the Habitats Regulations – which protects the Solent coastline and our internationally important chalk streams, including the River Itchen.
“If supported by the House of Lords, these changes will put into law the notion that Local Authorities should assume developments will not impact on protected sites, and that they should ignore any evidence to the contrary if it is presented to them.
“We will be opposing these changes in the strongest terms as they undermine key principles that have been in place for decades – i.e. that polluters should pay, and that a precautionary principle should be taken to avoid damage to our most important wildlife sites.
“All polluters must mitigate the pollution they contribute to – and house builders should be no different. Instead of developers paying for the pollution they cause – these changes would see the taxpayer picking up the bill.”
The Rivers Test and Itchen are chalk streams which are extremely sensitive to elevated nutrient levels, which cause excessive growth of algae that smothers gravel beds and shades out plant growth, impacting the whole ecosystem.
In the Solent region, HIWWT has worked successfully with developers, local government and regulators to develop an effective and affordable nature-based solution which mitigates the environmental effects of new developments. By rewilding unproductive land previously used for intensive agriculture, the Trust is reducing the amount of nutrients ultimately reaching the Solent while also restoring habitats for wildlife and bringing additional environmental gains. The Trust’s first such project, at Wilder Little Duxmore on the Isle of Wight, has demonstrated the rapid and dramatic impact that this pioneering approach can have – with a 47% reduction in soil mineral nitrogen levels recorded in less than two years.
Debbie added: “The Nutrient Neutrality rules have been working very well in the Solent area. To scrap them now is a betrayal of promises made by the government to protect the environment.
“Through our Nutrient Neutrality schemes, we have already proven a cost-effective way to unlock housebuilding while also mitigating the environmental impact of new developments – and those methods have the added benefit of helping people, communities and nature too. The results we have already seen at Wilder Little Duxmore are very significant for the fight against pollution on the south coast.
“We already know that Britain is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Our precious rivers and coastal areas are facing untenable levels of pollution from agriculture, industry and domestic waste, with 82% failing to reach good ecological status.
“We must have robust measures in place to start tackling this critical issue now as well as into the future. Why should developers be let off the hook and not pay to mitigate their impact?”