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Cautious optimism as amendments made to controversial Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
RSPB Youth Council warns of “devasting” government proposals
In an open letter, the Youth Council responds to the UK Government’s proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Posted 5 min read
We are deeply concerned about the UK Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill and together with other experts and NGOs, have warned that the Bill would be a regression of environmental protections, putting protected sites and species at risk.
Fearing the Bill could be a “devastating blow to nature, and to our futures”, the RSPB Youth Council sets out their concerns and the actions we can take.
Dear Decision-makers,
We are the RSPB Youth Council and we are seriously concerned. As a group of young people who care deeply about nature and a sustainable future, we are calling for the removal of Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
The Bill, which is currently making its way through Parliament, has the potential to deal a devastating blow to nature, and to our futures, if it passes unamended.
As young people we feel the stresses and insecurities of the housing crisis the most. We amplify the calls for more affordable homes!
This is not the answer to the housing crisis.
This Bill risks stripping away vital environmental protections to make it easier for developers to build on green spaces – even when that means destroying invaluable habitats and our precious natural environment.
It would allow decision-makers to ignore expert scientific advice. Our communities and homes are at risk of being permanently changed for generations to come, and once again young people’s futures are in the hands of others.
“We don’t want to be paralysed by fear anymore. Fear holds us back. It prevents us from being bold, radical and creative. It keeps us tame and quiet. But we believe that every one of us is a strong, powerful, untameable force. We are fighters.”
Our passion is rooted in nature
As the RSPB Youth Council, we have been working to widen access to nature for young people and our passion for campaigning is rooted in a deep connection with nature. We are young people who have been fortunate enough to grow up running through the wilderness of Sherwood Forest, hiking along the idyllic Devon coastline, and even exploring the nature pockets of urban jungles like London.
From finding frogs in garden ponds, to lying in fields aimlessly admiring Red Kites or Goshawks swoop overhead as children, to those of us who discovered the solace of nature later on, seeking out rare pockets of peace in local woods and green spaces during exams and lockdowns, nature remains an irreplaceable part of our identities and upbringing.
I grew up in a small house in the middle of the woods, with one neighbour and no other houses for miles, in the middle of Sherwood Forest. This upbringing allowed me to hone my natural instincts, learning bird songs, alarm calls, tracks and signs of mammals, tree species, how to find water… and so much more.”
– Indy Kiemel Greene, 19
Ever since the daily dog walks of my childhood led me deep into the Chilterns’ beech woodlands and rolling chalk grasslands, nature has woven itself into every part of my life, rooting itself in my imagination and inspiring me at every step."
– Freddie Emms, 18
These places have helped us dream, heal and grow. Our experiences with the natural world motivate us every day to continue to fight for it and fight for others to experience it too. That’s why we’re seriously concerned about the risks being posed to them by the government’s new piece of legislation.
What’s in the Bill and what’s at stake?
The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is designed to speed up development, especially housing and large infrastructure projects. In doing so, it currently risks weakening and removing vital environmental safeguards which protect some of our most ecologically valuable areas, as laid out in Part 3 of the Bill. It goes on to propose an ‘off-setting’ approach, allowing developers to pay into a ‘Nature Restoration Levy’ to invest in nature elsewhere – rather than avoiding harm in the first place or protecting the existing wildlife on their site.
What is especially concerning is the disproportionate impact the Bill could have on the most disadvantaged areas in the UK, as there is no definite that nature will be invested in within the county – potentially leaving certain areas to be completely nature-deprived!
Living in one of the most nature-depleted countries already, this is a policy that will further chip away at our opportunities to connect and engage with nature.
Some of us have been lucky enough to grow up with nature at the heart of our lives, and we know just how important it is. If the Bill is not changed, people across the country could risk missing out on this connection entirely. How will we encourage future generations to protect nature if they feel alienated from it?
It’s hard to grow up camping out under Dartmoor’s starry sky, kayaking alongside Barrel Jellyfish, clambering along the coast path, and not feel an innate responsibility to fight to protect it all. All my memories my whole childhood are intrinsically linked to this moorland and coastline, these rolling hills and magical forests… I want to be able to share these places with others, for decades to come.”
– Lisa Hoerning, 20
Nature is not a luxury. It's a lifeline.
Nature underpins our health, our wellbeing, and our resilience. For young people growing up in a time of climate anxiety, political unrest, and multiple threats to our future, nature isn’t just a nice to have – it’s essential.
Allowing ourselves to nurture this connection to nature isn’t just personally fulfilling – it’s fundamental to building a better planet.”
– Freddie Emms, 18
Taking away green spaces in the name of "progress" is like continuing to invest in fossil fuels whilst watching the planet burn. It ignores the root causes of the problems we face, and places our futures on alarmingly unstable ground.
What are we calling for?
We believe there’s another way. A future where housing and nature aren’t seen as opposites, but designed hand-in-hand. Where communities are involved, not ignored. Where policy listens to young people and to the people who will live with the consequences.
We urge the government to rethink the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and we call for Part 3 to be removed.
In a time of biodiversity crisis, we need to be protecting and strengthening environmental safeguards, not eroding them. Alongside this we ask the government to consult with young people as key stakeholders in the future of the UK’s built and natural environment.
As young people, we of course want homes we can actually afford. But we also want accessible paths to walk through nature; we want wildlife-filled woodlands and community green spaces; Skylarks and Hedgehogs sharing space with us rather than vanishing from our lives. These things aren’t mutually exclusive – we can and must find a harmonious balance. Otherwise, what kind of a future are we building?
Because when nature disappears from our lives, something disappears from within us too.
Signed,
Alfie Davis, Cori Birkin, Freddie Emms, Gruffudd Evans, Indy Greene, Jamie March, Katie Monk, Leona Renard Kouame, Lisa Hoerning, Rhys Irvine, Sennen Powell, Tash Ballantyne, Tom Barker: The RSPB Youth Council
P.S. If you’re reading this, you can help. Speak out. Talk to your MP. Share your story. Because decisions are being made right now that will shape lives for decades to come.
