Housing sector faces major bottleneck from biodiversity rules. The Home Builders Federation's latest survey reveals that 84 percent of builders still struggle with Biodiversity Net Gain implementation, with 60 percent now avoiding previously viable sites due to complexity. Planning delays persist, affecting 80 percent of respondents, though some improvement has emerged in resource availability. The federation warns that unclear policy guidance and inconsistent local authority application are creating cumulative cost pressures that threaten housing supply. While progress shows improvement in ecological expertise and off-site biodiversity unit availability, the industry demands government action on public sector staffing, clearer regulations, and baseline assessments in local plans to balance environmental requirements with development viability.
