Rachel Reeves is facing a backlash among green groups following claims she is ready to strip back environmental protections in a bid to speed up infrastructure projects.
The Chancellor is said to be considering further planning reforms that would make it harder for concerns about nature to stop development.
She has previously outlined action to reduce requirements on developers by saying they should 'focus on getting things built, and stop worrying about bats and newts'.
According to The Times, the Treasury has begun preparing for another planning reform bill and is considering tearing up key parts of EU-derived environmental rules.
It comes amid Ms Reeves' scramble to fire up the sluggish UK economy, with recent official figures having shown growth slowed in the second quarter of this year.
