Key facts
- A new levy on house developers for the Norfolk Broads has been cut by tens of thousands of pounds per house.
- The plan allows for 15,780 houses to be built in the protected wetland.
- Developers will pay £2,675 per house, totaling £42 million, into a nature restoration fund.
- A previous draft proposed a levy between £5,400 and £60,500 per house.
- Critics argue the levy is too low and does not address nutrient pollution.
- Natural England acknowledges the development will cause environmental harm.
A new levy on house developers intended to offset environmental damage in the UK's Norfolk Broads has been significantly reduced, drawing sharp criticism from environmental groups. The plan, published by Natural England, allows for nearly 16,000 homes to be built in the protected wetland area, with developers paying a fee into a nature restoration fund.
Critics have labeled the approach "cash to trash," arguing that the £2,675 per house levy, totaling £42 million, is insufficient to address the anticipated increase in nutrient pollution from sewage and urban run-off into the Broads' sensitive waterways. A previous draft of the Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) had proposed a much higher fee, ranging from £5,400 to £60,500 per house, to reflect the realistic costs of mitigation.
Natural England acknowledges that the development will cause environmental harm, including increased nitrogen and phosphorus pollution. However, the EDP states that the funded conservation actions will "materially outweigh" the negative effects. Environmental lawyers, ecologists, and professionals have raised concerns about a potential conflict of interest, as Natural England is funded by the developer's levy to carry out the restoration work. They also point out that the proposed actions compensate for harm rather than avoiding or mitigating it, and do not directly address the reduction of nutrient pollution.
The Norfolk Broads EDP is the first of its kind since the Planning and Infrastructure Act came into force, and it is seen as a blueprint for future plans across other protected sites in the UK. Concerns have been raised that this approach could set a precedent for sacrificing natural habitats for development.