Prime Minister to slash environmental regulation

In a speech to the Federation of Small Businesses today, Cameron said more than 3,000 rules will be cut or amended, saving more than £850m a year.

Rules that fall under the Prime Minster’s plan include 380 pages of waste management rules, 640 pages of cattle movement guidance and 286 pages of hedgerow regulations.

Labelling small businesses the “life blood of the economy”, Cameron’s comments will be a welcome move for those struggling with regulatory compliance. However, environmental groups have expressed anger at the cuts, which follow on from the Prime Ministers decision in October 2013 to ‘roll-back’ green levies.

UK Green Building Council chief executive Paul King said: “The Prime Minister’s boasts of ‘slashing 80,000 pages’ of environmental guidance is utterly reprehensible.

“It is the same poisonous political rhetoric from Number 10, devaluing environmental regulation in a slash and burn manner. These words are not only damaging and irresponsible, but misrepresent the wishes of so many modern businesses, both large and small.”

Leigh Stringer