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The Wildlife Trusts’ initial response to the 25 Year Environment Plan

Theresa May’s speech on the environment yesterday shows that, at last, a Government is seeing how much the environment means to the people of the UK, not least young people.

Both the speech and the plan contain some very encouraging words and ambitions for land and sea but The Wildlife Trusts believe that the lack of legal underpinning is a fundamental flaw.

In addition, it is vital that the Prime Minister fulfils her intention to ensure there is no weakening of environmental standards as we leave the EU’s world leading environmental legal system.

It is heartening that the Conservative party are saying they are backing nature’s recovery and people’s reconnection with it. However, the 46 Wildlife Trusts, including Northumberland Wildlife Trust in this region, feel there needs to be cross-party support and legislation if this plan is going to be implemented over the next 25 years and conservation groups must guard against a change of commitment in a few weeks, months or years if these promises are to become a reality.

The Wildlife Trusts Chief Executive, Stephanie Hilborne OBE, says: “It is clearly ridiculous to rely on political promises and the voluntary principle when it comes to securing a future for our most precious wild places. Nature needs to be part of their everyday lives no matter where they live.

“There must be an ambitious Environment Act in the next Queen’s Speech. Without real Government leadership our wildlife and wild places will continue to decline and with it our mental health as even more people become isolated from the benefits of day to day contact with nature.”

It is good to hear that this new plan is, in theory, meant to work across Government departments. In practice though, there is no commitment from the Ministry of Housing that planning permissions will be granted only if there is high quality green infrastructure included, or from the Department of Health to implement green prescribing across the nation, although, the commitment to the principle that new development should result in net environmental gain is welcomed.

The Wildlife Trusts’ new blueprint for nature-friendly housing shows how this can be done. The challenge now is implementing this through the planning system, working with local authorities and house builders to integrate wildlife into all new housing developments. Government has a critical role to enable this.

Protecting, restoring and reconnecting the places that wildlife needs to survive and thrive is crucial. The plan will ensure broader landscapes are transformed by connecting habitats into larger corridors for wildlife, as recommended by Sir John Lawton in his official review. The Wildlife Trusts welcome this support for a Nature Recovery Network, landscape-scale conservation and for nature-friendly farming. We have been calling for this for years - but feel that they must ensure that they do not overlook the areas where most people live. Access to nature and inspiring wildlife experiences should a normal feature of everyday life, especially in towns and cities.

Mike Pratt, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Chief Executive added: “This plan, whilst it lacks a legal framework and realistic targets to secure its delivery, has some very encouraging messages for our sector.

“It acknowledges human-induced climate change and the intrinsic value of wildlife and nature and the principle of a net gain for wildlife from any development. It promises a new nature friendly environmental landscape management system and also promotes the concept of a Nature Recovery Network which closely links to our concept of a Living Landscapes network we are developing locally and nationally and talks of a Natural Environment Impact Fund and other innovative ways of funding the environment. It is also good to see the importance of Nature recognised in children’s and in everyone’s lives, in terms of their health and quality of life.

“I welcome the chance to shape these aspects locally and the idea of a new Strategy for Nature. What we need to follow from this is a commitment to short and medium as well as the longer-term targets given and a real commitment quickly to taking these measures forward in a serious very collaboratively but with strong Governmental support (including legal protection).”

Mike concluded: “We need to start work on this crucial task as soon as possible, for the benefit of society and the environment. The longer we leave it, the harder it will be to re-engage people and re-boot natural systems that are essential to the recovery of Nature and a sustainable economy; but it is a good vision and impetus for change and a positive platform from which to work. It would be great now to see other parties contributing their ideas and approaches to making this work, so that everyone across government locally and nationally get behind nature.”

A final thought: The Wildlife Trusts would also have liked to see more about how the plan can be further designed and implemented at a local level - it will need to be enabled, guided and co-ordinated through local Nature Recovery Plans, to maximise the benefits. It will need substantial investment from government, business and across society - and it will need to be given the support of the law.

You can read a copy of the plan here https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/673203/25-year-environment-plan.pdf.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Northumberland Wildlife Trust .