<p><span>Local authorities will no longer have to consider the impact of nutrient pollution when determining most planning applications, under proposed amendments to the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill (LURB).</span></p> <p><span>Following the government’s announcement on Tuesday </span><a href="http://www.house-builder.co.uk/news/government-set-scrap-nutrient-neutrality-rules">that it would scrap EU nutrient neutrality rules to unblock thousands of stalled new homes</a><span>, it has revealed further details of the intended LURB changes.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>Under proposed amendments to Regulation 85A of the Habitats Regulations, the government stated that: “When making the relevant decision, the competent authority must assume that nutrients in urban wastewater from the potential development, whether alone or in combination with other factors, will not adversely affect the relevant site.”</span></p><p></p> <p><span> </span><span>It is also proposed that local authorities will not have grounds to seek an “appropriate assessment” of a site if nutrients could have a potentially adverse effect. Councils will also not have reason to determine that a potential development will impact the integrity of the site or have negative implications because of nutrients.</span></p><p></p> <p><span>And under proposed changes to the designation of nutrient sensitive areas, the secretary of state will be empowered to make changes to, or impose conditions on, environmental permits for wastewater treatment plants. Among other changes, the secretary …