Recommendation 87

This focus on new development means that an opportunity to reduce pollution or improve efficiency within existing developments may not be utilised. In 2021 there were 24.9 million dwellings in England. 117 In 2021/22, there were 232,820 net additional dwellings completed, a gain of 0.9 per cent. New homes are at the “forefront of energy efficiency”; 118 and can deliver water efficiency well above standards. 119 New development (certainly new housing development) is a small part of overall pollution and the current emphasis on their contribution is unbalanced. 120 Box 5: Crawley Borough Council water mitigation In September 2021, Natural England issued a Position Statement advising water neutrality should be required for planning permissions in the Sussex North Water Resource Zone. Several commercial developments in the area demonstrated they would be less water consumptive than the existing use on a site. Mitigating the increase water use of new homes has been more challenging. Crawley Borough Council is retrofitting its own housing stock with water efficiency appliances to reduce water consumption. This creates water neutrality credits which can be used for new housing development. By improving the water efficiency in 5,500 homes, the council has offset the water consumption of 206 new houses and flats, a ratio of 27:1. This approach should be cost neutral for the local planning authority. It has required upfront spending of £1 million which will be recovered from developers as they bring sites through the planning process. 121 Source: Written evidence from Crawley Borough Council ( IER0025 )