One of these is new biodiversity net gain rules , set to be implemented from November of this year . Among other things , these require housebuilders to make their plans clear on how activity will enhance an area ’ s ecology by ten per cent in order to obtain planning permission . A consultation into how they will operate is currently ongoing , to ascertain the views of those likely to be impacted by the new anticipated rules .
On the face of it , the overarching objectives of the rules have strong foundations and an important societal rationale . It makes good environmental sense and is responsible business to add to an area ’ s ecology as we build on it , and housebuilders like Gleeson have long supported and made efforts to do this of our own accord . In fact , Gleeson ’ s business model , as a whole , is predicated upon securing land and building on sites in areas of deprivation and degradation , building homes that customers love in the areas where they are most needed . In many cases , the net biodiversity gain of what we already do outstrips the targets under consideration by government .
The issue is that many of the specific requirements of biodiversity net gain are also expected to do much more to complicate an already over-stretched planning system , with many local planning authorities , often at their own admission , being without the key resources or expertise to process and comply with them . This is something we have already started to experience firsthand at Gleeson , with sites experiencing months of additional delays while biodiversity net gain packages are agreed .
In most cases , this process can delay planning consents and postpone construction on our sites and , by extension , our customers ’ completions and moving in dates . It can also restrict the number of homes we are able to build , through the requirement to reserve ten per cent of land for these net gain biodiversity improvements .
In the worst cases , the costs involved in this process can make sites completely unviable from a commercial standpoint , and therefore impossible for us to build on in the first place as we try to maintain our affordable price-points and USP for our customers .
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