The BBC reports that the UK government was defeated in the House of Lords last week, when their bid to weaken rules that protect environmentally vulnerable waters from extra nutrient pollution, a retreat from EU environmental standards, was blocked.

The proposed amendment looked to scrap rules that prevent new developments from being approved if there is a risk of damage to a protected area. The nutrient neutrality rules have prevented new developments from being granted planning permission if they risked increasing sewage discharges into already sensitive waters. Ministers are said to believe that “100,000 new homes could be built by 2030 if water regulations are loosened”. The amendment in the Levelling Up Bill was voted down in the Lords by 203 to 156, following an intervention by Labour.