Rayner Personally Blocks Jobs Hub and 1,000 New Homes to Avoid Disturbing Birds – Guido Fawkes

EXC: Rayner Personally Blocks Jobs Hub and 1,000 New Homes to Avoid Disturbing Birds

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Angela Rayner, in her role as Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary is supposedly the champion of “getting Britain building”. Yesterday she personally blocked a major development project on the grounds it might disturb some birds. Portsmouth City Council’s proposal covered a 58,000 sqm marine employment hub, 1,000 new homes, flood defences, and a bridge linking Tipner West to Horsea Island East. The whole package was vetoed at Rayner’s say-so…

Her department’s letter to the council set out the official reasoning:

“The Secretary of State notes that development schemes in Habitats sites can result in the disturbance of qualifying SPA / Ramsar bird species… Noise and visual disturbance arising from construction activities may result in behavioural changes (e.g. flight from the nest, cessation of foraging) in birds.”

The letter concludes that Rayner decided the plan failed to demonstrate it was “essential for public interest”. Meanwhile, the public continues to face a housing shortage, job scarcity, and stalled infrastructure. Labour’s ‘growth’ plan is for the birds…