UK Government risks sending nature into freefall

The UK Government has claimed that its new Planning and Infrastructure Bill offers huge ‘win-win’ opportunities to boost nature, whilst supporting ambitions to build new houses, roll-out renewables, and drive economic growth.  

This is simply not true. In fact, it puts wildlife at serious risk – fundamentally undermining the UK Labour Government’s manifesto promise to restore nature. 

• The Office for Environmental Protection stated that the Bill would be a ‘regression’ of environmental protections, removing vital safeguards for nature and putting protected sites and species at risk. 
• 40 experts have penned an open letter to the Government, branding the Bill a ‘licence to kill nature’.

• Over 30 leading environmental organisations, including the RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts and the National Trust, have raised the alarm about Part 3 of the Bill, which sets out a dangerous plan to move to a ‘cash to trash’ model for developers. 

Despite continued anti-nature rhetoric, blaming ‘newts and bats’ for stalled development, the Government’s own Impact Assessment Report found that current nature protections were not ‘blockers’ to building. Recent research from The Wildlife Trust supports this too, showing that the species blamed by the Government factor into just 3% of planning appeal decisions. 

The Bill recently completed Committee Stage on its passage through Parliament. This was a key opportunity for the Government to address our well-founded concerns by amending Part 3. We had, in good faith, proposed amendments that would have removed the threat Part 3 posed to nature.

Thanks to so many of you who took action, calling for your MP to support these amendments.

However, these amendments were rejected and, with this opportunity now passed, we have no choice but to call for Part 3 to be scrapped entirely. 

As a community of nature lovers, we've fought long and hard for nature protections. Yet right now, at this critical moment for our precious wildlife, the Government's Planning Bill seeks to tear them up.

The wild spaces, ancient woodlands, babbling brooks and the beautiful melody of the dawn chorus – these natural wonders delight people all over the country and support our physical and mental health. But right now, they are at serious risk. 

Nature is the bedrock on which we build our lives. It gives us clean air, clean water, and healthy soils to grow food. It boosts our health, our wellbeing and our economy. Yet we live in one of the most nature-depleted countries on earth, with one in six of our species now at risk of extinction from Britain, and a further 12% from Northern Ireland. 

We will not accept the weakening of existing environmental protections. Part 3 of the Bill must be scrapped – the future resilience of our businesses, our communities and our long-term economic prosperity depend on it.