ECO GROWTH FARCE
From bat tunnels to the Ulez, 20 barmy eco rules and groups that have held Britain’s growth back for years
Scroll down to read how pro-Palestine protests have damaged growth
RACHEL REEVES has vowed to turn the economy around by tearing up growth-choking eco rules and getting Britain building again – including a third runway at Heathrow.
But the Chancellor is facing Cabinet opposition led by Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband, who wants to kill the airport expansion plan as he thinks it undermines Net Zero targets.
9
9
Labour London Mayor Sadiq Khan has threatened to take the Government to court to block the Heathrow expansion.
And there are questions over whether Attorney General Richard Hermer will block or stall some of the building blitz.
But Britain’s growth has been held back for years because of a mountain of barmy eco rules and red tape.
The Sun on Sunday takes a look at 20 rules, regulations and groups that have sacrificed growth on the altar of Net Zero.
READ MORE ON RACHEL REEVES
The UK continues to lose out on enormous growth opportunities because you have a Chancellor who hasn’t a clue about how to deliver growth
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary
1. The 2008 Climate Change Act: Enshrined in law that the UK must slash greenhouse gas emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
This has paved the way for a slew of court cases blocking building and demanding more Net Zero red tape.
2. HS2 Bat Tunnel: Rail bosses spent £100million on a half-mile tunnel to protect bats crossing the rail line in Buckinghamshire.
9
9
It is one of the barmiest cases of eco rules holding up infrastructure projects and Rachel Reeves has promised no more bat tunnels.
Most read in The Sun
3. Ulez: London’s controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone was brought in by London Mayor Sadiq Khan in 2019.
It clobbers drivers of non-eco cars with a £12.50 daily charge for most vehicle types, including cars, motorbikes and vans.
9
Rachel Reeves backs third runway at Heathrow Airport as she outlines Labour’s plan for growth after brutal Budget
Businesses say it is ruining high street trade.
4. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods: Contentious schemes which stop cars using certain roads or impose a 20mph speed limit across whole areas.
Tory PM Rishi Sunak pledged to scrap them after an outcry from drivers, and businesses blaming them for lost trade, but Labour are sticking with them.
5. Nutrient Neutrality Rules: These are EU laws which block house- building if the new homes would add “nutrient pollution” to rivers from sewage and wastewater.
The Tories tried to scrap the rules, which they blamed for holding up house-building.
Labour opposed the plan in Opposition.
6. Ban on petrol cars: In the run-up to the ban on new petrol and diesel cars which comes into force in 2035, car-makers face staggered fines if they miss sales targets for electric cars.
Vauxhall closed its Luton plant, costing up to 3,700 jobs, in part because of the fines.
7. The plastic grocery tax: The Labour government is pushing ahead with plans for a plastic packaging tax — which has been dubbed a grocery tax.
Alarmed retailers say they will have to whack up prices for shoppers to cover the levy, which kicks in next year.
8. Great crested newts: Dubbed “warty newts”, these garden critters look like mini dinosaurs and are a protected species — meaning if they are discovered they can block new homes being built.
Liz Truss wanted to ditch these rules but Labour railed against the plan.
Now Labour also plans to ditch this rule.
9. Just Stop Oil blockades and protests: Eco zealots such as JSO have blockaded roads and train stations and stormed art galleries and sporting events, racking up huge costs for policing and lost trade.
The Met Police said policing JSO protests cost them £20million in 2023.
10. Stop Sizewell C Campaign: Plans to build a new nuclear power plant in East Anglia have been beset by delays caused by local and eco protests.
The building costs could rocket from £20billion to £40billion, in part because of these delays, it has been reported.
11. Animal rights activists: They have attacked businesses by pouring bottles of milk over shop floors and even blocked the building of a new zoo in Cheshire, harming trade and growth.
12. Anti-fracking campaigners: While Donald Trump is preparing to “drill, baby, drill” in America, the UK has closed its gas fracking sites because of eco protests.
Liz Truss was pro fracking but Labour have pushed for a ban.
13. Cumbria coal mine thwarted: Plans for the UK’s first coal mine in 30 years were killed off by the High Court after legal challenges by eco campaign groups.
9
Tory MPs slammed the decision, pointing out it killed off jobs and means Britain has to import coal from polluting countries such as China.
14. Ed Miliband: The leftie Cabinet minister imposed an immediate ban on new oil and gas drilling licences when Labour won the election, putting 30,000 jobs at risk.
15. Courts: They have blocked many new building projects and most recently have ruled that the new Scottish offshore Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas fields are unlawful and cannot be built.
This harms energy security and costs local jobs.
16. Greenbelt die-hards: Activists have blocked lots of building because it is on land categorised as greenbelt, including plans to build 20 football pitches in Leamside in Durham.
17. Councils with seven recycling bins: Plans for households to have to put out seven different types of bins because of strict recycling rules were slammed as barmy, bureaucratic and costly.
Rishi Sunak said he would scrap them.
18. Air passenger duty: Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary tore into Rachel Reeves this week over her tax hike on flights from the UK.
9
Air Passenger Duty will rise from £13 to £15 for passengers travelling economy on a short-haul flight.
O’Leary said she “hasn’t a clue” how to generate growth in aviation.
19. Red squirrels: Councils have delayed building new homes because of fears it would harm these creatures’ habitats.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
9
9
20. Calls for a meat tax: There have been repeated calls by eco groups and civil servants to slap a carbon levy on meat.
This would harm the farming industry and raise the price of your dinner.
Topics