Recommendation 15

The Government must not veer down the path of viewing nature as an inconvenience or blocker to housebuilding. In most cases housing delivery is delayed or challenged due to unclear and conflicting policies, land banking and skills shortages. Using nature as a scapegoat means that the Government will be less effective at tackling some of the genuine challenges facing the planning system. At worst, this approach could lead to the degradation of the natural world, preventing the achievement of legally- binding climate and nature targets, upon which our society and economy depends. (Conclusion, Paragraph 78)