‘Cash to trash’ levy on house developers too low to offset damage to Norfolk Broads, say critics

The Norfolk Broads are a heavily protected wetland network of 60 shallow lakes and winding rivers, home to some of England’s rarest species. Photograph: SPK/Alamy

A new levy on developers to allow almost 16,000 homes to be built in the environmentally protected Norfolk Broads has been cut by tens of thousands of pounds per house, the Guardian can reveal.

Ministers say the government’s environmental delivery plans (EDPs) were created to unblock housing growth across the country and are a “win-win” for development and nature.