Fears Labour will 'bulldoze' ancient woods protection

LABOUR is set to “bulldoze” vital environmental protections which could put Britain’s ancient woodlands in line for the chopping block, experts fear.

- By Steph Spyro DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR

Nature groups, such as the Woodland Trust, have slammed the Government's Planning and Infrastructure Bill which is making its way through Parliament.

It allows housebuilders to pay into a nature restoration fund to improve habitats at other sites, which could be anywhere in the country, rather than avoiding disturbance to nature where they are building.

Writing in today’s Sunday Express, Darren Moorcroft, the trust’s CEO, says: “The Government's Bill is set to bulldoze most of the existing environmental protections the public have fought for over the past 50 years and put our nation’s irreplaceable ancient woods and trees in line for the chopping block.

“The Bill would move us to a system where any developer with deep enough pockets could be given a free pass to destroy a 500-year-old tree, as long as they pay into a fund that helps nature.”

'Free pass to destroy 500-year-old trees'

Labour's plans threaten protected habitats, warned green watchdog the Office for Environmental Protection.