Ministers ‘break word’ on protecting nature after weakening biodiversity planning rule

The move is part of a bigger package to help the government meet its target to build 1.5m homes by the end of this parliament. Photograph: BFG48/Shutterstock

The government has broken its promise to protect nature by weakening planning rules for housing developers, groups have said.

While developers once had to create “biodiversity net gain” (BNG), meaning creating 10% more space for nature on site than there was before the building took place, the housing minister Matthew Pennycook announced exemptions to this rule on Tuesday.