Why the planning system matters for nature

NATURE matters to people and the planning system is one of the tools that has been used to help protect nature for the last eight decades.

- By ERIN MCDAID

Granted, the system has its faults and wildlife and wild habitats have continued to decline over that period, but that doesn’t mean we should throw the baby out with the bath water when looking at measures to speed up development.

The Government has made clear its determination to ‘get Britain building,’ and earlier this month published a Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Alongside its drive for more and speedier development, the Government has sought to give reassurance that it is committed to restoring nature. So does the Bill go far enough in terms of striking the right balance?

Having promised the Bill would land ‘in the spring,’ the sense of urgency for reform in this area has been matched by the early arrival of the Bill. While colleagues with much more expertise than I are now reviewing the detailed proposals and implications, I can offer an insight into The Wildlife Trusts’ initial assessment.

One of the most striking aspects is a proposed new approach to delivering against nature laws with the creation of Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs).