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Nature or development? Let's have both. 

A Wilder Future means everyone has wildlife and natural spaces nearby. Nature helps us all in lots of ways!  

But new changes to planning laws could put this at risk. The draft wording of a new Bill allows the Government to scrap some of the parts designed to protect nature.  

That won’t be good for wildlife, or people. 

This Bill could soon be passed - but there’s a chance to amend the wording now, while it’s being decided. 

Why should communities miss out? Done right, nature makes every development high-quality, attractive and sustainable. Nature makes us healthier, happier and even wealthier. Making some easy changes to this Bill now would lead to wilder, healthier homes, workplaces, and lives. We all deserve that.  

Read the Full Letter Here>

Dear Secretary of State,  

Planning & Infrastructure Bill: Please change course  

The Wildlife Trusts and our supporters work to recover nature, so that everyone can benefit from a flourishing natural world. We have been pleased to work with Government to achieve this, but the Planning & Infrastructure Bill now threatens this shared mission. 

Part 3 of the Bill would allow developers to pay into Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs) to satisfy their obligations when pursuing developments that would impact on features protected by nature laws. The concept could work in some circumstances with strict safeguards, but unfortunately this is not the approach the Government has chosen. Essential protections for nature are now threatened.  

The Bill creates no requirements for EDPs to be based on ecological evidence, no requirement to demonstrate that EDPs will significantly improve environmental features, and no requirement to prioritise avoiding harms to nature. In addition to this absence of safeguards, continued inaccurate rhetoric from the Chancellor and the Prime Minister about nature being a ‘blocker’ to development throws significant doubt on the Government’s intentions in bringing the proposals forward. 

Committee stage of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill provides a chance for you to change course. Amendments have been tabled by MPs that would require EDPs to be based on scientific evidence, to meet a high legal test, to prioritise avoiding harm and to deliver benefits for nature ahead of damage. We urge you to accept these constructive amendments, along with further nature recovery amendments to other parts of the Bill, including proposals to better protect chalk streams and to designate ‘Wildbelt’ sites. Taken as a package, these changes to the Bill would begin to stave off the threatened environmental regression without hindering the delivery of new homes.   

Your department’s willingness to accept these vital amendments at the committee will be the test of whether the Government is serious when it says it wants to preserve and grow space for nature, alongside building new homes for people. If this test is failed, The Wildlife Trusts will be forced to oppose this part of the Bill. Nature cannot afford the blow that Part 3 in its current, unamended state would inflict.  

Poll after poll show that the British public agree with us that new homes can and should be delivered alongside the recovery of wild spaces. We urge you to return to this shared understanding, before it is too late.  

Agree? Let the government know!  

You can co-sign our open letter – and why not add your thoughts about the "nature vs development" debate? We’ll take the letter straight to Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government along with your comments (but not your details). 

After you sign we can help you write to the Editor of your local newspaper too! It’s a great way to highlight this opportunity to others. Mentioning your MP’s name in your letter is a good way to get their attention. 

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