Labour has been accused of risking “unnecessary and irreversible ecological” harm while stifling housing developments through its flagship planning Bill. The Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM) also accused ministers of “double standards” for “loudly and proudly” supporting ambitious housing targets in Westminster while simultaneously opposing development proposals locally.
Sally Hayns, chief executive of the CIEEM, said: “By promoting the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB), ministers claim they are meeting their pledge of 1.5million new homes by the end of this parliament. In reality, the Bill’s reliance on ill-conceived Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) risks weakening environmental protections while adding costs and complexity for developers – making it harder, not easier, to deliver homes. In doing so, ministers are embracing policies that will undermine nature, accelerate ecological damage, and contradict their own positions.
“There is a clear hypocrisy at play. Ministers cannot promise to safeguard our natural environment while simultaneously backing a Bill that unequivocally undermines protections and hastens development at nature’s expense.”
She added: “Equally striking is the dissonance between national pledges and local actions. While Labour ministers have loudly and proudly supported ambitious housing targets in Westminster, many have simultaneously opposed development proposals in their own constituencies. This double standard undermines credibility and raises serious doubts about whether ministers truly believe in the reforms they are forcing through.”
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, Housing Secretary Steve Reed and housing minister Matthew Pennycook are among the senior Labour ministers named in the CIEEM’s “dossier of double standards”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is pushing for the PIB to be passed before her Budget on November 26 so that she is able to factor it into forecasts by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which could give her about £3billion extra breathing room against her own debt rules.
Ms Hayns said: “The great irony is that while the Government is decisively weakening environmental safeguards and silencing local and national opposition, it’s also imposing additional costs, delays, and confusion on housing developers due to the persistent lack of clarity around the Bill’s proposed conservation measures. This risks causing unnecessary and irreversible ecological harm while stifling the very development the Bill is supposed to facilitate.”
It has sparked furious backlash among green groups who fear the designs make it easier for developers to side-step environmental laws in order to build major projects such as AI datacentres.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “The entire Government is focused on getting Britain building so we can restore the dream of homeownership for families. This does not have to damage nature.
“We inherited a failing system that has delayed new homes and infrastructure while doing nothing for nature’s recovery. We are determined to fix this with landmark reforms that are win-win for the economy and nature, while being clear that local voices continue to be critical.”
