Five jewels Landscapes under threat from Labour proposals

Here are some of the irreplaceable wild places currently or recently imperilled by development that are likely to face renewed threats if the current wildlife protections are torn up by the government's bill.

- Patrick Barkham Sandra Laville Helena Horton

Lodge Hill, Kent - the best place for nightingales in Britain The best site in Britain for the endangered nightingale, Lodge Hill was made a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) in 2013. But the following year it was earmarked for 5,000 new homes - the biggest attempt to build on an SSSI in England since the wildlife laws of 1981 came into force.

After widespread protests from ecologists and nature charities, Homes England withdrew its plans and said it would develop just 500 houses on former Ministry of Defence land outside the SSSI.

The scrubby, song-filled paradise of dense woodland and grassland is renowned for its bat roosts, exceptional reptile population, rare butterflies, flowers and three species of owl. But in an area under huge housing pressure, the site that was once used for bomb disposal training and is classified as "brownfield" is likely to be targeted for development once more.

Tipner West, Portsmouthinternationally important tidal wetland The mudflats and coastal meadows of Tipner West are an internationally important place for waders such as black-tailed godwits and dunlins, as well as a wealth of intertidal marine life.

As part of Portsmouth harbour and the wider Solent, it is home to 30% of Britain's overwintering population of brent geese. The area is protected not only as a SSSI but also a special protection area (SPA) and Ramsar site - the highest tier of protection.

However, in 2019, Portsmouth city council proposed a "super peninsula" on the site - a largescale land reclamation project for housing that would have destroyed vast swathes of habitat.