One Planet News: Bats and Newts - Poor Excuse for Anti-Nature Rhetoric
Will the Labour Government stick to its manifesto nature pledge?
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Is the Labour Government failing nature?
By Annette J Beveridge
After months of anti-nature rhetoric from the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Deputy Prime Minister about nature blocking growth, new evidence reveals this is simply not true.
Newly-published research shows that despite the Chancellor and Deputy Prime Minister stating bats and newts would no longer delay building developments, it was actually only a factor in 3% of planning appeals.
In its current form, the Government’s Planning & Infrastructure Bill undermines the commitment to protect nature, yet in the manifesto in June 2024, Labour promised to ‘work in partnership with civil society to restore the natural world’ and to ‘create places that increase climate resilience and promote nature recovery.’
Read more: Find out about the master of disguise?
The Nature Recovery part of the Bill is a licence to destroy nature, replacing vital nature protections with a weaker substitute. The Government’s own nature watchdog described it as ‘environmentally regressive’ because it places threatened species and irreplaceable habitats at risk.
A new poll conducted by Savanta and commissioned by The Wildlife Trusts, revealed:
Fewer than a third of voters believe the Government is taking the nature crisis seriously enough (26%), is listening to local people in planning decisions (24%), and is achieving success in expanding nature-rich habitats (24%).
Fewer than a third of voters (32%) felt the Government had kept its promise to improve access to nature, promote biodiversity and protect our landscapes and wildlife.
Just a quarter of respondents (25%) said they would support new building developments in their local area if these new developments harmed the local environment.
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Chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts, Craig Bennett, said: “Before the General Election, Labour promised to restore nature. Under a year later, the Chancellor is leading an ideological charge against the natural world despite it being the very foundation of the economy, society and people’s health.
“The Wildlife Trusts and others have offered constructive solutions that would allow the Bill to proceed and achieve its aim to accelerate development whilst maintaining strong environmental protections. We’re appalled that these have all been spurned. Nature is in crisis and must not suffer further damage. Much-loved places like the New Forest could now be at risk – that’s why we’re now saying the misleadingly named ‘Nature Recovery’ section must be removed.”
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RSPB chief executive, Beccy Speight, said: “Despite engaging in good faith with the UK Government for many months, it’s now clear that the Bill in its current form will rip the heart out of environmental protections and risks sending nature further into freefall.
“The wild spaces, ancient woodlands, babbling brooks and the beautiful melody of the dawn chorus – it’s these natural wonders that delight people all over the country and support our physical and mental health, that are under threat. That cannot be allowed to stand.
“The evidence clearly shows nature isn’t a blocker to growth. The Government has identified the wrong obstacle to the problem it’s trying to overcome, and that has led it to the wrong solutions. With no meaningful amendment in sight, the complete removal of Part 3 of the Bill is the only responsible option left.”
Places such as the New Forest, Surrey Heaths, Peak District Moors, Forest of Bowland and rivers such as the Itchen in Hampshire will no longer be as strongly protected from development.
The commitments for developers to restore and improve nature will not be guaranteed in the local environment and could take place miles away, even in another county.
