BBC Panorama shows nature not a “blocker”
Last night’s BBC Panorama episode (Britain’s Housing Disaster: Who’s to Blame?) offered an important reality check on the causes of the housing crisis – and it’s clear that nature and environmental regulation are least among them.
The programme rightly highlighted that the challenges are systemic and long-term:
- The rising cost of UK-made construction materials.
- A shortage of skilled workers following Brexit and the pandemic, with an ageing workforce and declining recruitment.
- Housing affordability that puts home ownership out of reach for many first-time buyers.
- Overreliance on the private sector to deliver housing, rather than investing in social housing that could actually save public money.
- An underfunded and overstretched planning system – with only 1 in 5 local authority planning teams fully staffed.
It also underlined the importance of local nature spaces for community wellbeing and explored the debate around the Green Belt (and Grey Belt). While there is a case for repurposing some Green Belt land where appropriate, we believe there is also an opportunity to add a new purpose – enhancing biodiversity and supporting nature recovery.
We were pleased to see positive examples of practical solutions already being delivered, such as the work by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust on water quality and Nutrient Neutrality.
At CIEEM, we believe that with a well-resourced planning system and the right policy frameworks, we can deliver more homes and more nature. The two are not in conflict – they are both essential to building resilient, healthy communities.
Nature isn’t a blocker to housebuilding – it’s part of the solution!
See more on CIEEM’s work on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.