Farewell to the swallows and the thrushes! Green light soon for developers to bulldoze local nature into oblivion

                                                 

Already in decline because of habitat lost to development, the Song Thrush will be even more vulnerable to latest Government proposals 

DEVELOPERS may soon be able to bulldoze wildlife habitat -  so  long as they are  willing to chip in towards 'enhancing' nature at another 'strategic' site.

This latest Government proposal - which will delight housebuilders - was announced as the weekend.

A statement from Whitehall says: "As we seek to turbo-charge housebuilding, developers will be able to pay into a Nature Restoration Fund as a quick and simple way of meeting their environmental obligations."

It goes on to claim that the proposed measure will "help to  halt and reverse the decline of species and natural habitats" by "driving nature recovery at a strategic, not site-by-site, scale". 

It insists: "These common-sense measures will create a ‘win-win’ for nature and the economy, accelerating economic and environmental growth." 

The statement has been signed off by Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner who says: "Getting Britain building means stripping away unnecessary barriers to growth to deliver the homes that we  need.

"For years, vital housing and infrastructure projects have been tied up in red tape leaving communities without the homes, infrastructure and jobs they need."

The extent to which Natural England supports these proposals is unclear, but chairman Tony Juniper is giving the Government the benefit of the doubt.

Says he: "We will continue to work with the Government to help deliver their plans

"We should consider the huge opportunities which can be unlocked through better strategic planning which considers environmental improvements, economic development and green spaces for public enjoyment on a landscape scale."

The Wryneck says: "Talking about 'robbing Peter to pay Paul'! This is a potentially calamitous proposal. Right-minded people don't want to lose their local song thrushes, skylarks and badgers  in favour of supporting some 'strategic' nature enhancement scheme at a remote site elsewhere. They want nature to thrive in and around the places - whether urban or rural - where they actually live. They want  it to be part of the fabric of  their communities. And who will hold the levers of control  at the so-called 'Nature Restoration Fund' (which, incidentally, will inevitably require its own costly secretariat)? Who will to decide what habitats can be forfeited and what 'strategic' habitats should be 'enhanced'? Hopefully not Natural England, a body notorious for its inability even to maintain its own sites of special scientific interest. Contrary to the Government 'line', there is not  a great deal wrong with the planning system as it exists at present. It is up to developers to design their projects in such a way as to safeguard habitat and wildlife (and, in fairness, some already do). Allowing them carte blanche to  buy their way out of their responsibilities will leave the country even more nature depleted than ever.