"The Chancellor is leading an ideological charge against the natural world despite it being the very foundation of the economy, society and people’s health. Promises have been broken, and millions of people have been betrayed"
- Craig Bennett - The Wildlife Trusts
The Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB have called for the removal of Part 3 of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill, arguing it weakens environmental protections and breaks previous promises made by the Labour Government. Their demand comes as new evidence and polling challenge claims that nature is a barrier to economic growth.
A report released today, Planning & Development: nature isn’t the problem, shows that bats and great crested newts were cited in just 3% of planning appeal decisions. This finding adds to previous research, including the Government’s own impact assessments, that indicate environmental safeguards do not significantly hinder development.
Alongside the report, a new public poll conducted by Savanta for The Wildlife Trusts reveals widespread dissatisfaction with the Government’s approach to nature. Only 26% of adults polled believe the Government is taking the nature crisis seriously. Just 24% think it is listening to local communities on planning issues or succeeding in expanding nature-rich habitats. Only 32% felt the Government had delivered on its pledges to protect landscapes, improve access to nature, and support biodiversity.
Public support for development that harms the environment also appears limited, with only 25% of respondents backing such projects in their local area.
The Bill, introduced in March, has already drawn criticism from the Office for Environmental Protection, which has warned that the legislation will result in environmental regression. The Wildlife Trusts, together with other organisations, had proposed amendments to mitigate the Bill’s impact and introduce protections for sensitive sites, such as chalk streams. These suggestions have been rejected, prompting the joint call with the RSPB to remove the Nature Recovery provisions entirely.
The groups warn that under the proposed legislation, some of the country’s most sensitive areas could lose current protections. Sites such as the New Forest, the Peak District Moors, Surrey Heaths and Hampshire’s Itchen River may no longer be safeguarded from development in the same way.
Another key concern relates to compensation mechanisms. Under the Bill, there is no guarantee that nature restoration linked to development will take place near the affected communities. Developers may be allowed to offset environmental damage at sites miles away, potentially even in other counties.
The Bill also proposes changes to long-standing Habitat Regulations, raising fears among conservationists that key wildlife and ecosystems could be left without effective safeguards. Without strong obligations on developers to restore lost habitats, landscapes such as wildflower meadows, ancient woodlands and chalk streams could face further degradation. Species, including hazel dormice, otters, and a number of bird and butterfly populations, are also seen as at risk.
The proposed legislation follows a period of critical rhetoric from the Chancellor directed at environmental rules, as well as financial pressure on the farming budget that supports nature restoration efforts.
“Before the General Election, Labour promised to restore nature," comments Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts. "Under a year later, the Chancellor is leading an ideological charge against the natural world despite it being the very foundation of the economy, society and people’s health. Promises have been broken, and millions of people have been betrayed."
“The Government’s Planning & Infrastructure Bill, in its current form, fundamentally undermines its commitment to protect nature. The so-called Nature Recovery part of the Bill is a Trojan horse – it’s a misnomer because, in reality, it is a licence to destroy. It replaces vital nature protections with a weaker substitute and has been described by the Government’s own nature watchdog as ‘environmentally regressive’ because it puts irreplaceable habitats and threatened species at risk.
Bennett concluded, “The Wildlife Trusts and others have offered constructive solutions that would allow the Bill to proceed and achieve its aim to accelerate development whilst maintaining strong environmental protections. We’re appalled that these have all been spurned. Nature is in crisis and must not suffer further damage. Much loved places like the New Forest could now be at risk – that’s why we’re now saying the misleadingly named ‘Nature Recovery’ section must be removed.”
Beccy Speight, chief executive of the RSPB, added, “Despite engaging in good faith with the UK Government for many months, it’s now clear that the Bill in its current form will rip the heart out of environmental protections and risks sending nature further into freefall,"
“The fate of our most important places for nature and the laws that protect them are all in the firing line. The wild spaces, ancient woodlands, babbling brooks and the beautiful melody of the dawn chorus – it’s these natural wonders that delight people all over the country and support our physical and mental health that are under threat. That cannot be allowed to stand,"
“The evidence clearly shows nature isn’t a blocker to growth. The government has identified the wrong obstacle to the problem it’s trying to overcome, and that has led it to the wrong solutions. With no meaningful amendment in sight, the complete removal of Part 3 of the Bill is the only responsible option left.”
