A man has lashed out against "insane" nutrient neutrality regulations that are slowing down his plans to open his holiday let.

Todd Henderson, who lives in Mattishall, near Dereham, is trying to get his property compliant with nutrient neutrality regulations but has described the process as "insane".

Last week, Breckland Council approved Mr Henderson's retrospective planning application to turn his three-bedroom annex into a holiday let. 

The annex was already being used privately by friends and family and no changes would be made to the property. 

However, approval was given on the basis that he would mitigate against the adverse effects of harmful nutrients seeping into the River Yare's catchment area - a legal requirement that has been in place since 2022.
 

Todd Henderson must mitigate any nutrient harm before opening his annex to paying guests.Todd Henderson must mitigate any nutrient harm before opening his annex to paying guests. (Image: Denise Bradley)
Mr Henderson, who also runs Future in Beauty, must either replace his septic tank with a treatment plant or purchase credits to offset the nutrients.

Mr Henderson said: "The issue is that credits are not always readily available, and often they're sold to big developers before smaller businesses get a look in.

"So I have to wait until credits become available or install a really expensive treatment plant. It's just insane."

Mr Henderson was also confused by the fact that his property is not a new development.

He said: "The only difference is that guests would be paying to stay here.

The annex is currently being used privately by friends and family.The annex is being used by friends and family. (Image: Todd Henderson)
"It feels like we're being treated differently.

"There are hundreds of holiday lets in Breckland's catchment area that have been operating since 2022 and from what I understand none of them are having to go through this."

Mr Henderson said he plans to install the treatment plant himself with the help of a friend.

He said: "This new business is supposed to secure a future for my children but it's just keeping me up at night at the moment."

Norfolk Environmental Credits, which sells nutrient neutrality credits, said: "NEC is a not-for-profit company, offering one of the lowest prices for credits in the country.

"It is working to unlock housing and enable sustainable development, which balances protecting and enhancing the biodiversity of our natural environment with delivering much needed homes."