Councils call for Government funding to resolve water and nutrient neutrality concerns responsible for delays to building of 20,000 homes

The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged the Government to fund local solutions to river pollution and low water levels that are said to be keeping 20,000 homes from being built.

A report by the LGA found that pollutants caused by agriculture and water companies which run into rivers mean that some planned housebuilding is unable to go ahead as a result of legal protections to clean and protect waterways.

The report noted that rising levels of water abstraction for drinking water supplies caused by new development also lead to further threats to wildlife and the natural environment.

To tackle the issue, the LGA called on the Government to "take immediate steps" in the Spring Budget to speed up housebuilding by giving affected areas funding to invest in locally available solutions, such as improving the water efficiency of homes, targeted agricultural upgrades and upgrading wastewater treatment works.

Continuing uncertainty over how to resolve legitimate concerns about water and nutrient neutrality could also lead to more areas of the country breaching the levels that halt construction, the LGA warned.

Councils are also calling for a doubling down on long-term action to protect rivers by focusing on reducing pollution at source. 

The report found that an estimated 17,000 homes have been delayed due to river pollution, while 3,000 were delayed over low water levels. The findings come as the Government recently reiterated its commitment to building 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s.

Cllr David Renard, LGA Environment spokesperson, said the thousands of homes that are on hold due to the concerns have left councils "in limbo on how to meet increasing demand for urgent accommodation".

Cllr Renard added: "We need to find short-term local ways to address this pollution and water availability before longer term solutions are found to stop the pollution at the source so the land can be built on. This will help address the housing crisis, with more than 1.2 million households on waiting lists in desperate need of somewhere to stay.

"Councils want to work together with government, agencies, developers and the agricultural sector to find ways to kickstart building homes, while doing everything possible to reduce pollution at source, maintain safe water levels and avoid other areas getting caught up in this environmental bind."

There have been a growing number of legal disputes over river pollution, with news coming today (14 March) that legal action has been launched against the Environment Agency for allegedly failing to protect the River Wye from phosphorous pollution that mostly originates from agriculture.

Herefordshire Council and Powys County Council have also been subjected to legal challenges over decisions to give planning permission to agricultural buildings in and near to the River Wye's catchment area.

Adam Carey