Chair: Victoria Bankes Price, Woodland Trust
Head of Policy and Campaigns: Dan Pescod, Link
A key focus for the Group has been the new draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on 5 March. The Group crafted a detailed response, welcoming some aspects of its content such as recognition of the need to protect ancient woodland.
Link members view the revised NPPF, published in July, as a “mixed bag”. We are now working to influence the guidance that will accompany the NPPF, to ensure it is implemented in the most environmentally-friendly way possible.
In November the group had a useful meeting with MHCLG’s Director of Planning to discuss the NPPF guidance. The substance of such meetings is quite technical, but ultimately the impact across the country of planning rules and guidance on matters such as ecological networks and wildlife sites is very substantial. The Group will therefore continue to advocate for strong planning guidance over the coming months.
In October, the Group responded to two Government consultations which sought views on changing the planning rules in order to make it easier to grant planning permission for fracking: Permitted Development and the inclusion of fracking in the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) regime.
In our responses we express concern both about the environmental impact of fracking in England (such as an increase in climate change-related emissions) and the potential bypassing of local democracy if the planning rules were changed as proposed.
In November members of the Group attended a meeting with Defra and MHCLG officials to learn more about the Government’s plans to protect / enhance biodiversity. The discussions focused on how nature could be enhanced (via an approach known as “net biodiversity gain”). This approach is part of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, and comes in the context of the Government’s expectation of mass house-building in the coming years, which presents a serious challenge to our natural environment. The Group gave its views and awaits the imminent Government consultation on this matter.
In November members of the Group attended a meeting with Defra and MHCLG officials to learn more about the Government’s plans to protect / enhance biodiversity. The discussions focused on how nature could be enhanced (via an approach known as “net biodiversity gain”). This approach is part of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan, and comes in the context of the Government’s expectation of mass house-building in the coming years, which presents a serious challenge to our natural environment. The Group gave its views on the then imminent, and now open, Government consultation on this matter. The Group is now working with colleagues across Link, and especially in the 25 Year Plan Group, to formulate a detailed response to the consultation.
Finally, the Group is looking at the landscape and implications for nature of the proposed Oxford-Cambridge expressway and associated plans to build a million new homes in the area between these two cities
For further information, contact Dan Pescod, Link’s Head of Policy and Campaigns.
Last updated: 2 January 2019
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