A recent survey conducted amongst 14,000 by Joe’s Blooms, revealed that 75% believe that all new housing developments, large or small should improve the natural environment by means of the creation green spaces or nearby habitat banks.
Support for nature-friendly development is even stronger among those that oppose the Government’s target of building 1.5 million new homes over the next Parliament, with 84% agreeing that all new developments should positively contribute to nature recovery.
The results also indicate that 36% of respondents think that the green spaces should be established locally instead of in other parts of the country. This, is contrary to the government’s new Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) plans, where developers will be funding large-scale national nature protection and restoration projects as opposed to protecting or reinstating local ecosystems where the biodiversity was lost.
Nearly half of the survey respondents (49%) cited that a loss in green space or environmental damage is the key factor in resisting local housebuilding – ranking just behind pressure on local services (57%) and traffic congestion (54%).
The data suggests that integrating local nature recovery into development plans could help address anti-development concerns and win over NIMBYs. BNG could offer a clear solution in its requirement for developers to deliver at least a 10% biodiversity improvement in their project areas as part of planning permission.
Oliver Lewis, CEO of Joe’s Blooms, said: “The data is clear: BNG isn’t just beneficial for nature – it’s essential for gaining public support for new housing developments. Nearly half of NIMBYs cite environmental concerns as a major reason for resistance. At the same time, support for nature recovery is growing among those most opposed to housebuilding. To achieve its ambitious housebuilding revolution, the Government must place BNG at the heart of its strategy. Following recent planning reform announcements, a clear roadmap is needed to show how BNG integrates into the planning framework — ensuring momentum isn’t lost. By embedding nature recovery into housing policy, development can drive biodiversity gains, win local backing, and deliver benefits for both people and the planet.”
Joe’s Blooms was founded in 2022 to help planning applicants comply with the new BNG regulations.
