Nature threatened by 'deeply damaging' planning bill

FEARS of "irreversible damage" to Surrey's countryside have prompted calls to change a bill going through Parliament.

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Surrey County Council members have unanimously agreed to call for central government to revise a "deeply damaging" planning bill.

Councillors voted in favour of an amended Green Party motion, highlighting serious concerns about its environmental implications at a meeting of full council on Tuesday (July 8).

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill, currently going through Parliament, aims to streamline the planning system to speed up the delivery of new homes and big infrastructure projects, but part of the bill includes ripping out some environmental red tape, which the Government argues is gridlocking the process.

Councillor Jonathan Essex (Green Party; Redhill East) put forward the motion, stating: "If passed, this Parliamentary bill will cause tragic, irretrievable and avoidable damage to Surrey's countryside.

"We must not let this bill dismantle decades of progress in nature protection, including removing key principles of environmental governance from the planning system."

Surrey cabinet member for the environment, Cllr Marisa Heath (Conservative; Englefield Green), supported the motion.

She said the council is in favour of building new homes but "not to the detriment of the existing environment and residents".