The charity has recently submitted its comments following the consultation process of the Government’s White Paper, Planning for the Future. New analysis suggested that as they currently stand, the proposed reforms would increase the threat to nature in England and do little to create better homes and communities for wildlife and people.

The Trust is supporting The Wildlife Trust movement’s five headline requests for planning reform, which are:

1. Wildlife recovery and people’s easy access to nature must be put at the heart of planning reform by mapping a Nature Recovery Network

2. Nature protection policies and standards must not be weakened, and assessment of environmental impact must take place before development is permitted

3. Address the ecological and climate crises by protecting new land put into recovery by creating a new designation – Wildbelt

4. People and local stakeholders must be able to engage with the planning system

5. Decisions must be based on up-to-date and accurate nature data

For decades, the Trust has worked to gain positive outcomes for wildlife through the planning system, and input to consultations and projects of all scales, from local and neighbourhood plans, to major infrastructure and small-scale developments. To back up its support for the five headline requests, the Trust has used local examples to illustrate the issues.

One case is Chorlton Moss Local Wildlife Site, a lowland raised bog that was saved from the threat of nearly 100 homes after a 2-year battle by a local action group, SWT and the local council.  The peat bog is an irreplaceable habitat listed on Annex 1 of the Habitats Directive, but due to a lack of recent surveys, the protection boundary didn't include a wide buffer of surrounding habitats or the site's water sources. The proposals would have destroyed habitats, affected the ground water supply to the moss, and prevented future restoration of the area. Eventually the housing site was designated itself due to the rare wet meadow habitat that was discovered as part of the planning application. Thankfully an appeal was withdrawn in the face of the new evidence that had been gathered.

Threats like this show how important it is to have good data and protection for unique sites, expert advice for planners and for local voices to be heard to avoid bad decisions. The huge HS2 project across Stafffordshire also highlights the impact to Local Wildlife Sites and irreplaceable habitats like ancient woodland - many of which have not yet been properly investigated.

In contrast, Redhill Business Park, north of Stafford, was shortlisted for a nature conservation best practice award for Staffordshire County Council’s attention to wildlife and green spaces on the site. It features a wet woodland Wildlife Site, meadows created using seeds from a National Nature Reserve and several great crested newt ponds, all linked with a circular path. The site has proved popular with locals for walking, and with companies who say the landscape attracted them to move there. It goes to show that a natural approach can work for people, wildlife and business.

Kate Dewey, Senior Planning Officer for the Trust, said: “We know how to build better, greener and healthier places, where nature can solve our problems. Whether it is air quality, flooding, climate change or a global pandemic, we all know that green areas on our doorstep are not just nice to have, but essential to our long-term wellbeing and prosperity. We are calling on the government to give everyone involved not just the policies, but the information and resources to make the system smarter, smoother, and truly sustainable.”