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Wildlife threatened by short sighted planning reform
Last modified: 25 July 2011
Wildlife is set to be threatened by the biggest overhaul of the English planning system in a generation.
That’s the message from concerned conservationists as the Westminster Government unveils the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) today.
The RSPB has warned that the current proposals will let the public down by undermining the planning system’s ability to protect nature outside internationally-recognised wildlife sites. The draft NPPF is therefore a missed opportunity to bring to life the ambitions set out in the Government’s recent Natural Environment White Paper.
A public consultation on the plans is now underway, and the RSPB will be asking its members and supporters to push government to address these concerns. The final document will provide new guidance to planning officers in councils across England.
Most controversial is the presumption in favour of ‘sustainable development’ – a major change in emphasis from the current system which sees planning officers weighing up a range of concerns before making a decision. Instead, the default assumption will be that development proposals will be approved.
Martin Harper, RSPB Conservation Director, said: “We recognise that economic growth is an immediate and pressing issue, but if it comes at the expense of nature then we are simply saving up bigger problems for ourselves further down the road. As the recent National Ecosystem Assessment showed, our economy and well-being depends on a healthy natural environment.
“The planning system is what protects the England we all hold dear - our iconic landscapes and our wildlife-rich habitats. It is there to represent the interests of the public in the face of complex decisions, and it will fail us all if one factor – economic growth – is set higher than any other.
“There are welcome phrases within the draft NPPF, but these could turn out to be green-wash unless they are strengthened. If the right checks and balances are not put in place through this reform of planning policy then the Government’s ambitions as laid out in the Natural Environment White Paper will fall at the first hurdle.”
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