Still time to press your MP to vote for nature

N June 2024 I marched on Parliament with tens of thousands of others ahead of the General Election to call on all politicians to “Restore Nature Now”.

- By ERIN MCDAID

I naively felt that the incoming government would take notice - but 16 months on, we are fighting to secure limited, but important, changes to a Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PIB) which suggests that the Government is listening to developers and business interests rather than voters.

In essence, the PIB seeks to make changes to how developments, including new homes, are planned and built. We were promised a “win-win” with changes that would speed up development whilst contributing to nature's recovery. Sadly we've had to fight the Bill every step of the way to prevent it undermining vital wildlife protections and providing a free pass to build anywhere.

With the support of our members and others who care, we have worked tirelessly to improve the Bill. Back In July, the Government brought forward changes that offered some safeguards but overall, the Bill will still lower environmental protection.

Whilst the Bill is almost law, peers in the House of Lords recently voted to add key protections. Without these, the Bill could be disastrous for wildlife and wild places and we now need MPs to back these vital changes.