March 7, 2025
Government Correct to Head Off Climate and Nature Bill

Government Correct to Head Off Climate and Nature Bill

The ‘Climate and Nature Private Members’ Bill’, brought forward by Dr. Roz Savage MP, seeks to set new legally binding targets for climate and nature, as well as give the Secretary of State a duty to implement a strategy to achieve these targets. The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has

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Issue 327 : Apr 2025

March 7, 2025

Government Correct to Head Off Climate and Nature Bill

Government Correct to Head Off Climate and Nature Bill

The ‘Climate and Nature Private Members’ Bill’, brought forward by Dr. Roz Savage MP, seeks to set new legally binding targets for climate and nature, as well as give the Secretary of State a duty to implement a strategy to achieve these targets. The National Federation of Builders (NFB) has worked closely with Government’s old and new to ensure they understand the impact of their environmental and climate policies. Unfortunately, many of these decisions have resulted in increased taxation, lower growth, and have achieved little or nothing for the climate and environment. The Labour Government is therefore correct to take stock and ensure the direction of travel delivers for nature, business, and society. The following outlines a few examples of where industry warnings were ignored by the Government. The Treasury’s decision to remove the construction industry’s access to red diesel increased project costs and fuel theft, while also creating new maintenance expenses for the plant hire sector. Three years on, most machinery remains diesel fuelled, with the limited availability of electric plant machinery still to be charged by diesel generators. DEFRA’s Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) approach, which is championed as an ‘onsite first policy’ but for most developments cannot be delivered onsite, is creating offsite habitats miles from original development sites. Their strategy also neglects local biodiversity and, if projects can afford the sky-high mitigation costs, means new developments do not build in biodiversity but instead, can create physical barriers within a wildlife corridor. Due to being a statutory requirement, BNG is also reducing levels of affordable housing. Sticking with DEFRA, Nutrient Neutrality schemes attempt to reduce the pollution entering our waterways, not by targeting the polluters but the new build sector, which in some areas accounts for less than 1% of total pollution. Like BNG, Nutrient Neutrality leads to farming land being taken out of use to provide mitigation credits via habitat creation and in the process reducing the UK’s food security. In the MHCLG, vital grid investment, such as pylons and substations, continue to be stopped by NIMBY sentiments, while the Government obsesses over the energy efficiency of new homes, despite these new homes accounting for only 1% of stock and already being 65% more efficient than old homes. These outcomes exist because somebody tried to use policy levers to do the right thing but, in the process, ignores the broader impacts. This consequently damages sustainable environmental and climate improvement, stifles maintainable change, and embeds zero sum outcomes. Worse still, those businesses, our SMEs, that have historically offered the solutions that many champion, such as building within communities and so reducing car dependency, installing renewable energy solutions within buildings, and working with local communities on nature conservation and access, have been leaving the sector at an alarming rate due to the above and many other policy changes that have made doing business impossible and unprofitable. While well intentioned, the Climate and Nature Bill (CAN) is a Bill of unexplored and unintended consequences, far eclipsing the policy harms exampled above. The Government is therefore correct to head off CAN and reassess the UK’s role in solving a global challenge, while balancing the many competing domestic needs, from renewable energy and biodiversity to growth and healthy societies. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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Jasper over the moon after space-themed furniture gift from Davidsons Homes

Jasper over the moon after space-themed furniture gift from Davidsons Homes

A local Priors Hall Park School student is over the moon following an ‘out of this world’ gift from a housebuilder. Last year, 9-year-old pupil Jasper won a competition to design a bedroom, held by housebuilder Davidsons Homes for its stunning showhome at Kirby Woodlands. As part of his prize, Jasper’s bedroom design was replicated in one of the showhome bedrooms – a room that Jasper was excited to visit and explore for himself. Following a surge of sales including the showhome itself, Davidsons Homes decided to gift all the furniture from the space-themed bedroom to Jasper. The treat was carefully planned between the housebuilder and Jasper’s mum, Annabelle, giving the youngster a surprise that rendered him speechless on the day. Simon Tyler, Sales Director for Davidsons South, said: “Gifting the furniture to Jasper from the bedroom he designed feels like the perfect ending to this lovely story. Originally, we tasked students from Priors Hall Park School to design a bedroom for our new showhome, and we were absolutely blown away by the results. From models made of the room, through to stories that accompanied entries, we have genuinely never seen such high-quality entries from children. “Jasper’s design won our hearts though, with so many carefully-considered details – a galaxy-themed ceiling, Doctor Who and Star Wars elements and a slide reaching from the bed, surely every child’s dream. “Now, we’re delighted that following the sale of the showhome, we are able to gift all the furniture from this bedroom to Jasper. We very much hope he enjoys his revamped bedroom and that it’s a little reminder to him of this project, which has certainly been one we’ve all thoroughly enjoyed here at Davidsons Homes.” As part of his prize, Jasper also won a £500 Merlin voucher for him and his family to enjoy. Not only that, but Jasper was the first to visit the showhome and see the bedroom, before it was open to other visitors. Jasper’s mum, Annabelle, said: “Jasper has been so excited about his bedroom design being chosen, in fact he even took his grandparents to visit it over Christmas last year. Now, it’s the icing on the cake that we have been given the furniture from the bedroom for Jasper to take home and enjoy. “It was wonderful to visit the showhome again with Jasper, along with his sisters, and see him receive the news that he is able to take the furniture home with him. We really cannot thank you all enough.” People are invited to visit Kirby Woodlands for themselves. To make an appointment or to find out more, visit davidsonshomes.co.uk. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

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