The Labour government's ambitious plan to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029 has sparked controversy as it emerges that professional ecologists have been completely excluded from ministerial discussions, while property developers have enjoyed extensive access to government ministers.
Imbalanced Access Raises Environmental Concerns
According to exclusive findings, Chancellor Rachel Reeves and Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook have held numerous meetings with major housing developers since the planning and infrastructure bill was published in March. The Treasury register reveals Reeves hosted high-level discussions with housebuilding giants Berkeley, Barratt and Taylor Wimpey within just one week of taking office, and has continued regular engagements since.
In stark contrast, the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM), the professional body representing ecologists, has not secured a single meeting with any minister despite repeated requests. Chief Executive Sally Hayns revealed they were initially turned down for a meeting, requested again in July, and eventually met with civil servants in autumn - but never achieved face-to-face ministerial access.
Last-Ditch Protection Efforts and Government Resistance
As the planning bill reaches its final stages before royal assent in the coming days, peers have secured a crucial amendment that would maintain protections for vulnerable species including dormice, nightingales and hedgehogs, and rare habitats like wetlands and ancient woodlands.
Katherine Willis, the peer who successfully proposed the amendment in the House of Lords, described it as a "pragmatic way out of what are the real things that are blocking development" and a "win-win amendment because it will help developers build houses, but also means that the vast majority of nature will be protected."
However, the government has shown little willingness to compromise, having previously whipped MPs against environmental amendments and even suspending one Labour MP for speaking out for nature protection.
Ecological Warnings and Development Pressures
The tension between rapid development and environmental protection has become increasingly apparent. Chancellor Reeves has repeatedly advocated for slashing nature rules, even boasting to a JP Morgan tech conference about unblocking a 20,000-home development stalled by protection measures for a rare snail, despite Natural England's concerns about water scarcity in the Sussex area.
Meanwhile, developer Vistry, which is building 1,200 homes outside Newton Abbot in Devon, recently sent bulldozers within feet of a 2,000-year-old protected ancient wetland and is seeking to have planning conditions protecting the site lifted. The company confirmed it is in contact with Labour housing ministers to resolve "current blockages" and expedite the project.
Hayns expressed serious concerns about the government's approach, stating: "There is a very low level of ecological literacy being displayed by ministers. Nothing I have seen or heard gives me comfort that Rachel Reeves understands the importance of nature to economic and social wellbeing."
Joan Edwards, director of policy and public affairs at the Wildlife Trusts, emphasised that "nature is not a blocker to development and the government should stop pretending otherwise," urging MPs to support the amendment in what she called "the last chance saloon" for protecting both development and wildlife.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government rejected the claims, stating that Minister Pennycook attended two meetings with environmental groups and that their engagement had helped shape the bill, which aims to "remove barriers to building vital new homes and infrastructure and achieve a win-win for the economy and nature."
