Labour dangers ‘bulldozing’ Britain’s historic woods and bushes | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Labour is ready to “bulldoze” important environmental protections which might put Britain’s historic woods and bushes in line for the chopping block, consultants have warned. Nature teams, such because the Woodland Trust, have slammed the Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill which is making its approach by Parliament.

The invoice permits housebuilders to pay right into a nature restoration fund to enhance habitats on one other website, which might be wherever within the nation, relatively than avoiding disturbance to nature the place they’re constructing. Darren Moorcroft, CEO of the Woodland Trust, mentioned: “As it stands, the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill is set to bulldoze most of the existing environmental protections the public have fought for over the past fifty years and put our nation’s irreplaceable ancient woods and trees in line for the chopping block.

“Instead of requiring developers to avoid destroying important habitats, like ancient trees and woodlands, incorporating them into their designs or working around them wherever possible.

“The new Bill would move us to a system where any developer with deep enough pockets could be given a free pass to destroy a 500-year-old tree, as long as they pay into a fund that helps nature elsewhere. Most school children could tell you that nature doesn’t work that way.”

Labour’s planning invoice threatens protected habitats, warned inexperienced watchdog the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).

It known as for the invoice to be strengthened and for safeguards of protected nature websites to be included.

Dame Glenys Stacey, the chair of the OEP, mentioned: “There are fewer protections for nature written into the bill than under existing law. Creating new flexibility without sufficient legal safeguards could see environmental outcomes lessened over time.

“And aiming to improve environmental outcomes overall, whilst laudable, is not the same as maintaining in law high levels of protection for specific habitats and species.

“In our considered view, the bill would have the effect of reducing the level of environmental protection provided for by existing environmental law. As drafted, the provisions are a regression.”

The Wildlife Trusts and RSPB are among the many teams demanding a rethink of the invoice.

Angela Rayner this week rejected accusations Labour will likely be “bulldozing over the greenbelt” or compromising on protections for nature to construct properties sooner.

The Deputy Prime Minister mentioned that proposals to enhance smaller builders, which can ease the necessities for them to pay to spice up nature habitats, have been “pragmatism” and that the Government will have the ability to “protect nature at the same time”.

The Government has set out proposals to chop purple tape and for planning selections to be shifted away from councillors and in the direction of skilled officers as a part of efforts to satisfy Labour’s pledge to construct 1.5 million properties by 2029-30.

A authorities spokesman mentioned: “This Government inherited a failed system that blocks homes, infrastructure, economic growth and does nothing for nature’s recovery.

“The Nature Restoration Fund will secure lasting improvements for nature and help fix the failed status quo. We note the support of the Office for Environmental Protection for the intentions behind our reforms and will carefully consider their advice.”