{"id":31045,"date":"2023-10-18T17:34:16","date_gmt":"2023-10-18T15:34:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=31045"},"modified":"2023-11-14T09:55:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-14T08:55:08","slug":"countryfile-issues-john-craven-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2023\/10\/18\/countryfile-issues-john-craven-16\/","title":{"rendered":"Countryfile issues: John Craven"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
COUNTRYFILE ISSUES <\/span><\/h5>\n\n

John Craven<\/h2>\n\n
\n\n

DOES NEW HOUSING HAVE TO PUT WATERWAYS AT RISK?<\/p>\n\n

\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

M<\/span>any<\/strong> years ago, long before current housing regulations, I lived in a new-build home on an estate with a stream flowing past our small front garden. All rather idyllic apart from when, after heavy rain, the sound of water surging over large stones kept me awake at night. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n

It never crossed my mind that the charming stream could be a potential conduit of pollution. But that was half a century ago, before the world became aware of threats to our natural environment. <\/p>\n\n

In more recent years, the EU, concerned with the impact of sewage leakage and construction site runoff, restricted housebuilding anywhere near waterways in protected areas. Developers in 62 local authority areas from Cornwall to the north-east have to prove their schemes will be \u201cnutrient neutral\u201d. This means ensuring no additional nutrients, such as phosphates and nitrates that can damage water quality, create excess algae and harm wildlife, would be released into local watercourses. Developers claim, as a result, building work has lagged behind targets. <\/p>\n\n

In recent weeks, though, the Government decided to scrap what Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a \u201cdisproportionate and poorly targeted old EU ruling\u201d in the hope that an extra 100,000 homes could be created by 2030, starting within months and giving an \u00a318 billion boost to the economy. The EU ruling would instead become \u201cguidance\u201d to housebuilders, who applauded the move. But, with filthy rivers such a major issue and those who pollute them facing mounting public criticism, protests grew.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"
In a bid to speed up homebuilding, the Government is trying to scrap rules that require developers to protect waterways<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Greenpeace\u2019s Doug Parr retorted: \u201cWho would look at our sickly, sewage-infested rivers and conclude that what they need is weaker pollution rules?\u201d Ali Morse, water policy manager of the Wildlife Trusts, told me: \u201cWe know that nutrient neutrality schemes work. Protecting rivers does not hold up housebuilding \u2013 it is entirely possible to provide homes people need while also stopping river pollution from worsening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

\u201cDevelopers have to prove their new housing will be \u2018nutrient neutral\u2019\u201d <\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

\n\n

Then, suddenly, in September, the Government\u2019s plans were dead in the water and clean-river campaigners celebrated. The House of Lords threw out an amendment to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, <\/em>which would have approved the plans, by 203 votes to 156, with Labour peers joining the revolt. <\/p>\n\n

POLITICAL PAUSE? <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Critics called it a \u201chumiliating defeat\u201d; Conservative leaders accused Labour of destroying the dreams of home ownership for thousands of families, while Labour said the Tories had failed to score cheap political points with a rushed and flawed plan. If Rishi Sunak still wants to press ahead with ditching the \u201cnutrient neutral\u201d rules, he will have to produce an entirely new bill in the King\u2019s Speech this November. <\/p>\n\n

Cabinet ministers had argued that allowing new housing in protected areas would have a \u201cvery small\u201d impact on sewage pollution and planned to offset it by doubling, to \u00a3280m, its investment in the Nutrient Mitigation scheme run by Natural England. <\/p>\n\n

The nation does face a critical shortage of housing, but environmentalists argue it can be solved without posing threats to waterways and conservation areas. Whatever happens now, one thing is for sure. No one wants to see anything unpleasant floating past if they are lucky enough to live by a stream.<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Watch John Craven and the team on Countryfile, <\/em>Sunday evenings on BBC One.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

Photo: Getty, Oliver Edwards<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Does new housing have to put waterways at risk?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":31357,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"34","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"34","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_34-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_34-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"November-2023","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"November-2023","purple_external_id":"November-2023-34-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"November-2023-34-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000084075||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000084075||","purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.209","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.countryfile.209","purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.209","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.countryfile.209","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"91da22fd-9e7f-40d1-a93f-fc46e9516d91","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2023-10-18T15:34:42Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"53bec227-209c-4002-b072-1a9b45b621c2","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2023-10-18T15:34:42Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAw==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AU77CJyCcQAKwchqbRbYhwg","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[27],"tags":[14],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/GettyImages_1313977810_preview.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"3","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/GettyImages_1313977810_preview.jpg",2001,1499,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/GettyImages_1313977810_preview-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/GettyImages_1313977810_preview-300x225.jpg",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/GettyImages_1313977810_preview-768x575.jpg",768,575,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/GettyImages_1313977810_preview-1024x767.jpg",800,599,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/GettyImages_1313977810_preview-1536x1151.jpg",1536,1151,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/10\/GettyImages_1313977810_preview.jpg",2001,1499,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Does new housing have to put waterways at risk?","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31045"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31045"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31045\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32615,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31045\/revisions\/32615"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}