Two documents have emerged from Whitehall suggesting the environmental damage that development does to land has at last re-entered the Whitehall policy debate sterilized for five years by ministers’ emphasis on house building numbers.

DEFRA’s draft soil strategy finally emerged four years after its Soil Action Plan for England with a firm commitment to protect carbon levels in soil but few firm proposals for the built environment. It was followed by the announcement of a Foresight study on the future of land use to 2050 which will look at it in response to economic, demographic and environmental challenges.But the draft strategy reflects DEFRA’s loss of influence in the land use debate in the face of house building pressure and the Government’s opposition to the soil protection directive.

To a significant extent this opposition was prompted by ministers’ objections to the directive’s proposed restrictions on “soil sealing” – the process of covering soils with hard development and restricting its ability to sequester carbon, alleviate flooding and recharge groundwater. A chapter on the built environment restates existing policies but notes issues requiring further consideration including, soil sealing and compaction, contamination during the construction process, climate change and soil loss. Responses are required by 23 June.

The 18-month Foresight study will cover both urban and rural soils and will aim to provide a scientific underpinning to policy choices.

u http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/soilstrategy/ http://www.foresight.gov.uk/LandUse/LandUse.html