Home and Habitat: Balancing Housing Development and Nature Conservation | IPT
Chair: Paul Holmes MP, Shadow Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Speaker: Daniel Black, TRUUD Programme Director, University of Bristol
Speaker: Helen Nyul, Group Head of Biodiversity, Barratt Redrow
Breakfast Meeting

Date:

Tuesday 18 March 2025

Venue:

House of Commons

Start Time:

08:30

End Time:

09:30

The government has committed to building 1.5million homes over the course of the current parliament. With such a large mandate for infrastructure it must be considered how this will impact nature and biodiversity, and how we can work together to ensure positive outcomes for both housing and nature. Natural England have addressed the vitality of ensuring that new habitats are created to compensate those being lost to new developments. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have sought to address such issues. As of February 2024, developers in England are required to deliver 10% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). Balancing ecological preservation with housing needs will be crucial to make this policy sustainable and effective. However, a report from the University of Sheffield and Wild Justice has shown that these BNG goals are yet to be realised. The report suggests that only 53% of projects delivered on attempting to reach BNG goals through nature-friendly features, including: hedges, wildlife highways and biodiverse roofs. Some have argued that the BNG policy will have a negative impact on the housing industry and will block progress towards the government’s 1.5million homes goal, negatively impacting the economy. Yet, the 2021 Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review, and a 2024 article from the Environmental Change Institute have argued that damage to the environment is slowing UK growth and if the trend continues it could lead to a 12% loss in GDP. How can we balance the needs of meeting the government’s housing targets whilst also protecting nature and allowing it to flourish?

This event will:

  • Discuss how the government and developers can effectively balance the goal of building 1.5 million homes with the imperative to protect and enhance biodiversity
  • Examine what measures can be taken to improve the integration of nature-friendly features in new developments
  • Consider how these efforts can be aligned with long-term sustainability goals to avoid potential negative impacts on both the environment and the economy?