One of our main duties at the Trust is to stand up for nature. When we do, it’s not only biodiversity we are fighting for - we’re fighting for clear air, clean rivers, healthy soils and resilience to the impacts of climate change. As a nation of nature lovers, secure in a democratic country with a long track record of protecting the environment, it should be straightforward for us all to stand up for nature and for our voices to be heard. 

We should be pushing on an open door, being welcomed into the corridors of power to play our part in securing a cleaner, greener and more wildlife-rich future for all of us. Alas, whilst this is sometimes the case, far too often we are marginalised (dare I say, even demonised), fighting with limited resources against government decisions and public policy changes that are actively seeking to undermine the natural world on which we all depend. Surveys repeatedly show how much we collectively cherish and wish to protect our wildlife. Yet, once again, public policy is heading in a different direction, blaming nature for slow or no growth and painting it as the reason that so may struggle to afford a home. 

Just imagine a future where these arguments were already won. We’d have sustainable developments with solar panels on houses, hedgerows rather than fences and safe, wildlife-rich green spaces where we could walk and our children could play. Instead, we could be being faced with built-up jungles that pay no heed to the hedgerows, trees or wildlife that came before. Our rivers and air will be choked with pollution and birdsong will be heard no more.

In the coming weeks, what we consider to be the tip of the ecological iceberg continues its path through Parliament. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill returns to the Commons after a summer holiday in the Lords. Those of you who are regular readers of this blog will know we have serious concerns about this Bill and have done so from the start. This is the latest attempt by a government to attempt to use simple solutions to something that is incredibly complex. Effective planning reform requires an understanding of the complexities and interdependencies. There is no one simple fix but what I do know is that bats, newts and snails are not the blockers to growth, despite the many comments from the Chancellor. 

Over the summer the Government introduced some amendments to address some of the concerns that have been raised about the Bill. But for a Bill that states it is a “win for nature and growth” it is currently a lose-lose. This isn’t an opinion, it is a fact. The Government’s own regulator, the Worcester-based Office for Environment Protection, still describes the amended Part 3 of the Bill, the part the focuses on nature and development, as regressive. By regressive they mean fewer protections for habitats and species. Weakened protections will mean inevitable greater pressures on nature at a time when the UK is already the 188th most nature-depleted country on earth. There is still more to do to make the Bill an actual win-win for nature and growth. The Governent knows this. Please contact your MP to let them know that you share our concerns – only by hearing from constituents will they realise just how vital this is to each and every one of us. 

It’s more important than ever to do this right now. There are already rumours swirling of a new Planning Bill to follow that may go even further in weakening protections. There is also talk of a new Nature Bill that will review the habitat and species protections already in place.  We know that the Government has consulted on removing the Biodiversity Net Gain requirements for small and medium scale developers. They’re also looking at options for weakening protections in our national landscapes. Last week we were dismayed to hear the Conservative Party commit to scrap the Climate Change Act if they return to power. More bad policies whose unifying theme is trying to justify simple solutions to complex challenges.

This may all sound like nothing to do with you or me. It’s just politics isn’t it and haven’t we got enough bad news in the world? But now, more than ever before, we need to stand up for nature and voice our concerns. What we’re asking for is not revolutionary – we need good policies that do their best for nature and, therefore, for us. We’re not there yet but, make no mistake, we need to get there. We will again be contacting our six MPs in Worcestershire and we hope you do too.

Thank you, as ever, for your support.

Contact your MP