Government rejects Planning Bill amendments campaigners say would safeguard nature

The Government has rejected at Committee stage all of the amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill that green groups argued would curb what they see as the legislation’s potentially devastating effects on nature.

Campaigners sought changes including to ensure developers make reasonable attempts to avoid environmental harm; to strengthen the Nature Recovery Fund; and to protect precious habitats that can never be replaced, like ancient oaks, and highly site-dependent species, like dormice.

Ali Plummer, director of policy and advocacy at Wildlife and Countryside Link, said in a blog: “Whilst the housing minister acknowledged that the Government is considering the views of the OEP [which has also raised concerns that existing protections for nature will be diminished] and looking for ways to increase confidence that the Bill will deliver positive outcomes for nature, so far, they have taken no significant steps to address our concerns and those of wider stakeholders.”

The Bill is due to return to the main Commons chamber in June. Plummer urged MPs to support amendments to safeguard nature at that stage. She said: “Currently this Bill takes away too much from our tried and tested protections and replaces certainty with wishful thinking. Fundamentally, too much is at stake and needs fixing to make this work. Without meaningful change, this Bill should not pass.”