Thousands of individuals will protest on Saturday to demand the safety of Britain’s countryside in opposition to Labour’s improvement drive. Chris Packham, the Woodland Trust and the National Federation of Parks have united to lift the alarm forward of native elections on May 7. Keir Starmer can also be persevering with his push to construct 1.5 million new houses by 2029, which campaigners warn “encroaches further on the country’s green spaces”.
The Community Planning Alliance, organisers of the “national day of action”, prompt 14,700 acres of Green Belt land – equal to over 11,000 soccer pitches – is at present prone to improvement.
Wildlife Broadcaster Mr Packham, stated: “Britain’s wildlife and biodiversity are facing a once-in-a-generation threat. Less than 3% of England is adequately protected for nature, and today’s Day of Action shows that this isn’t just a fringe concern.
“The British public want to see nature protected, and any politician who ignores that does so at their peril.
“The Green Belt was created to protect both nature and people’s quality of life. We all want to see more and better housing for Britain – but not at the expense of our nature and wildlife.
“What we need is smarter, more creative thinking – bringing together communities, planners, scientists and developers to design homes that are affordable, future-proof and that work with nature, not against it.”
The mass protest will see greater than 190 areas throughout the UK demand individuals help nature.
It will embody human chains on countryside threatened by improvement, nature walks, peaceable demonstrations, litter picks.
The members of the general public will demand native election candidates to decide to defending inexperienced areas and reversing “unfair” land classifications launched by Labour’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill final yr.
Juli Titherington, lead coverage advocate of planning at The Woodland Trust, stated: “Across the country, communities are alarmed about the ongoing loss of nature. Places we once thought sacred are being opened up to developers. The protections we fought for to safeguard our most precious green spaces are now at risk through Government reform and deregulation. That’s why it’s so important to show Government that our woods and green spaces matter to everyone.”
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman stated: “We are getting Britain building so we can make homes affordable and have been clear this will not come at the expense of the environment.”
“We will build 1.5 million homes to restore the dream of homeownership, and we’re already seeing green shoots with a 15% increase in new housing starts compared to last year.”
https://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/2195120/thousands-protest-keir-starmers-once-in-a-generation