Proposed Planning Reforms – what is the Trust doing?
8 September 2011
The Trust’s CEO, Debbie Tann, attended a meeting today with the Planning Minister, Greg Clark, and a coalition of other nature conservation organisations (1) to discuss the Government’s controversial planning reform proposals. At the heart of the debate was the concern that the core principles of “sustainable development” have been distorted in the Draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and weighted towards economic growth.
The Minister acknowledged there were serious issues to resolve and has invited conservation organisations to work with him to clarify the wording of the NPPF. We welcome this invitation, but the Government as a whole must recognise the importance of the natural environment in underpinning a healthy economy, and the role of the planning system in delivering environmental improvements – in line with the Natural Environment White Paper.
The Trust will continue to work collaboratively with other conservation organisations at a national level on these key points. In addition, as the champions of A Living Landscape we are also seriously concerned that the NPPF does not currently mention Local Wildlife Sites or Nature Improvement Areas – crucial building blocks for ecological recovery and key to delivering the ambitions of the White Paper.
In summary, the Trust will be pushing for the NPPF to include:
- A robust and workable definition of sustainable development, drawing on the UK’s Sustainable Development Strategy - Securing the Future;
- A requirement to identify Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs) in local plans. NIAs are large areas where nature will be restored through the connection and enlargement of important habitats for wildlife. The Government’s strong commitment to NIAs has not been reflected in the draft NPPF;
- Protection of Local Wildlife Sites (LWS). There are 40,000 local wildlife sites in England (more than 3,500 in Hampshire and the Island) which play a critical role in providing wildlife refuges, acting as stepping stones, corridors and buffer zones to link and protect nationally and internationally designated sites.
Click here to download a briefing note on the Wildlife Trust’s position on the NPPF.
Anyone can participate in this debate. The draft NPPF is open for public consultation and can be found here. Do write to your MP or go to see them at one of their local surgeries.
The Wildlife Trusts are working closely with other nature conservation organisations including the National Trust – who for the first time in their history are taking a strong lead on this campaign. To find out about the National Trust’s campaign and their online petition, click here.
(1) The meeting was attended by Wildlife and Countryside Link, RSPB, The National Trust, CPRE, Friends of the Earth, WWF and the Wildlife Trusts. Debbie was asked to attend the meeting on behalf of the Wildlife Trusts’ national office.
