Labour’s planning bill threatens protected habitats, says environment watchdog | Planning policy

The Keir Starmer Planning Bill has been criticized by the Environmental Control Authority, which warned that the draft legislation will remove the guarantees of nature and endanger the risk sites.

Currently, laws that protect habitats and nature are derived from the legislation of the European Union. Since the United Kingdom left the bloc, it has managed to weaken these laws that protect specified species and habitats.

The draft planning and infrastructure law that passes through Parliament exceeds the protection of specific habitats derived from the European Union, and instead asks for general environmental improvement when developers build homes. The draft law also allows home players to pay in the nature restoration fund to improve habitats in another location, which can be anywhere in the country, rather than avoiding disturbance of nature where they are built.

The draft law aims to enhance economic growth by removing the “red tape”, which facilitates building homes and other infrastructure. but Nature organizations He warned that she endangers nature.

Environment Minister Mary Craig He complained the week This criticism of the draft law was “deeply misleading” and that it was “a victory for people and the recovery of nature.”

However, according to Mrs. Glins Stacy, Head of the Environmental Protection Office (OEP), the draft law will weaken environmental protection. “There are fewer protection for the nature written in the draft law compared to the current law. Creating new flexibility without adequate legal guarantees can see environmental results reduce over time. It aims to improve environmental results in general, although they are worthy of praise, not the same that is preserved at the high levels of the law for specified habitors and species.

“From our studied point of view, the draft law will have the impact of reducing the level of environmental protection stipulated in the current environmental law. It was also formulated, the provisions are a decline.”

The International Energy Agency called for the promotion of the bill and to include the guarantees of protected nature sites. It warns that under this draft law, conservation measures will be allowed away from protected sites affected by development. Nowadays, this is only allowed in limited circumstances and where the site’s protected network is protected, but OEP said these guarantees are absent from the bill.

The guardian revealed this week that housing developers will be Creative on the green spaces of the green Without the need to replace the loss of nature in the nearby areas. The new natural areas, gardens and community gardens may not be created to make up for the removal of green spaces to make room for housing developments in the same boycott.

Environmental experts have called for amending the bill. “When monitoring in the government determines the draft planning and infrastructure of environmental slope, the ministers cannot ignore. The draft law is a clear watering of protection, but there is still time to amend it, which leads to winning victories with both development and ground employees,” said Ali Blammer, Wildlife and Contereyside Link.

“England deserves the policies that raise the tape of nature and neighborhoods throughout the country, and do not return it. It is now time for the government to recognize problems with the bill and return it to the right track.”

“This opinion reveals the government’s readiness to mislead the public on leadership through environmentally and economically harmful policy. This is the dangerous draft law that must be stopped, for the normal normal procedures, widespread consultation and wide aircraft, evaluating impact and pilots. The bulldozer this bill through the unlawful sounds, and does not help our economy, or Our environment. “

DEFRA has been contacted to comment.