
The mayor of London is right to redouble his efforts to tackle the capital’s housing crisis, but there is no reason this should come at the expense of protecting nature (Sadiq Khan to announce plans to build houses on London green belt, 9 May).
We must create good-quality and affordable homes, alongside green spaces that reduce our toxic levels of air pollution, while creating beautiful, livable communities. Indeed, some poorly classified areas of the green belt help nobody, featuring disused car parks or industrial land.
Therefore, if we are going to build, we should do so in harmony with nature. And this is where ministers must step in. Without strong, consistent laws balancing competing demands over our land and environment, with appropriate independent checks and oversight, we risk accelerating the decline of nature in pursuit of growth, while hurting the very people and sectors we are looking to help.
The planning and infrastructure bill is a prime example of where the government must think again about how it ends the injustice of sky-high rents, alongside restoring nature-depleted urban areas. As it stands, part 3 of the bill slows down developers, making their work more costly and complex. It is a “lose-lose” for builders, the economy and nature, and must be put on hold for proper consultation.
Alexa Culver
General counsel, RSK Wilding
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