New houses over newts and Nimbys: Angela Rayner attacks conservation rules hampering building and vows to sideline locals to create 1.5m homes

Angela Rayner lashed out at environmental rules hindering house building today as she claimed newts are 'more protected than people'. Ms Rayner was on TV today trying to sell Labour's plans to build 1.5million homes by 2029 and also vowed to take on local 'not in my back yard' campaigners with a streamlined planning process. Under the scheme, applications that comply with local development criteria - known as a 'local plan' - for how many homes need to be built will bypass planning committees entirely. Under the scheme, to be unveiled on Thursday, applications that comply with local development criteria - known as a 'local plan' - for how many homes need to be built will bypass planning committees entirely. Asked if the fast-track was taking powers away from local councils, Ms Rayner told the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: 'I don't accept that, because we're saying they have to have a local plan, local democracy, and we're saying the national planning policy framework, national democracy, were elected to build the 1.5 million homes, so therefore we've bolted in the consultation.