More than 2,000 homes planned for Darlington and Teesside cannot go ahead due to river pollution levels, research has shown.

There is a near-total ban on new houses being built in parts of the region due to pollution.

Proposed developments near the River Tees or any of its tributaries in North Yorkshire, County Durham and Teesside have been put on hold following the government’s conservation advisor issuing advice on mitigating water pollution in the protected area around the Tees from housebuilding.

It follows a ruling by the Government’s environmental watchdog Natural England aimed at improving water quality.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has analysed the impact on house building across England, finding the North East is the worst affected region. 

The LGA analysis found almost a third of building in the region is impacted.

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Local authorities in Tees Valley have been advised to refuse developments that are not phosphate and nitrate neutral,  as the nutrients can speed up the growth of certain plants which can impact on wildlife.

In Darlington, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Hartlepool 100 per cent of likely house building areas are affected.

That drops to 69 per cent in Redcar and Cleveland, 16 per cent in County Durham, 15 per cent in Hambleton and 11 per cent in Richmondshire.

That amounts to 515 new builds in Darlington, 478 In Middlesbrough, 725 in Stockton, 212 in Hartlepool and 113 in Redcar and Cleveland – which will not be able to be built unless developers and councils can prove they will produce no additional pollution.

The LGA said limiting new developments will not be enough by itself to improve the state of rivers, as the majority of pollution is caused by agriculture and water companies.

Cllr David Renard, environment spokesperson for the LGA said: “Councils want safe, clean, thriving natural environments alongside the sustainable development of housing, growth and jobs.

“It is concerning and frustrating that pollution levels in some rivers have reached a point to trigger bans on building around 20,000 new homes each year, over seven per cent of all England’s likely new house building.

“People need homes, schools and doctors’ surgeries, and people also need a safe and clean environment.

“Councils are working tirelessly to enable house building while upholding high environmental standards. However, they cannot achieve this alone. We need to reduce pollution at source, which predominantly originates from water treatment and farming.

“The Government and its agencies, house builders, the agricultural sector and water companies must all come together with councils to find short-term solutions while doing everything we can to reduce pollution at source."

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The LGA is launching a policy inquiry to find solutions focusing on how to improve rivers by addressing the underlying causes of pollution.Across England, more than seven per cent of planned house building cannot go ahead, the LGA analysis found.

It said 23 councils have more than 90 per cent of likely house building areas impacted by the law. Forty councils have more than a quarter of their likely house building impacted. 

Together around 20,000 new homes a year will not be able to be built unless developers and councils can prove they will produce no additional pollution. Of these 2,043 are in Darlington and Teesside. 

 

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