Angry campaigners have warned that changes to water quality rules outlined by the Prime Minister during a visit to East Anglia could damage rivers like the Deben.
They have warned that relaxing rules on the amount of nutrients that could be released into rivers by new developments could increase algae and kill fish.
Speaking on a visit to a new-build housing estate near Norwich, the Prime Minister told broadcasters that the boost to housebuilding would be “fantastic for young, first-time buyers”.
Current rules prevent developers from building houses in protected areas when it would add harmful substances like nitrogen and phosphorus into nearby rivers and lakes, because such nutrients can cause algal blooms that deprive other plants and animals of light and oxygen.
But the governmment wants to change the law so these rules are seen as "guidelines" which would open the way to more development.
Ruth Leach, co-founder ‘Save The Deben’ campaign group, said: “We are deeply concerned as to the likely impact on the Deben estuary that the proposed withdrawal of this legislation will have.”
She said the area is recognised as an internationally protected Ramsar wetland, a nationally protected SSSI and AONB area and the new nature reserve at Martlesham Wilds.
The news comes just a few weeks after Environment Secretary and Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey chaired a meeting in Woodbridge to discussing cleaning up the Deben - when Anglian Water pledged to update its two sewage plants on the river.
Mr Sunak would not speak to local reporters - but he was joined at the site by Housing Secretary Michael Gove, who defended the move.
He said: “We are committed to building the homes this country needs and to enhancing our environment. These changes will provide a multibillion-pound boost for the UK economy and see us build more than 100,000 new homes.”
The government wants to offset any damage by doubling its nutrient mitigation scheme, being run by Natural England, to £280m. And it will spend another £166m on slurry infrastructure grants.
Dr Coffey said: “These new plans will cut nutrients and help support England’s precious habitats whilst unlocking the new homes that local communities need.
“We are going to tackle the key causes of nutrients at source with over £200 million of funding to reduce run-off from agriculture and plans to upgrade waste water treatment works through conventional upgrades, catchment approaches and nature-based solutions."
However the government assurances did nothing to satisfy national environmental pressure groups or opposition parties.
Chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts Craig Bennett said: “In May, June and July, the Government made promises to the British people and to Parliament that they would not lower environmental protections or standards.
“But just a few weeks later they are planning to do precisely the opposite. They lied – this is a disgraceful move which undermines public trust in this Government.
“Make no mistake – this is a license from the Government for the commercial housebuilding lobby to profit from the pollution of our rivers."
And shadow housing secretary Lisa Nandy said the move would to little to boost housebuilding while threatening the environment.
She said: “With housebuilding projected to fall to the lowest level since World War Two and our rivers full of sewage, the Conservatives are failing on both housing and the environment.
“The Government is responsible for environmental policy; housebuilders should not be asked to cover for their abject failure."
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