Planning and Infrastructure Bill

A hedgehog crossing a road at night with a car driving passed.

It’s not ‘nature or development’. It’s both.

A Wilder Future helps everyone benefit from and enjoy wildlife near them.

However, parts of the UK Government's new Planning and Infrastructure Bill currently threaten nature's recovery right across England. This isn’t good for wildlife, or people.

Don’t let this Bill become law without the safeguards needed to protect nature.

The UK Government needs to understand that high-quality, sustainable development doesn't need to be at the expense of struggling wildlife or climate. It’s not a one or the other decision. With some specific changes to the Bill that are easy to agree to now, we can have wilder, healthier homes in the future.

To safeguard the future of our wildlife, it’s vital that we see significant changes made to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

From now until 22 May, a committee of MPs will bring forward, discuss, and select amendments to the Bill. We must all give wildlife a voice at this crucial time.

Read The Wildlife Trust’s response to the Bill

What is Norfolk Wildlife Trust doing?

We are working with The Wildlife Trusts nationally to submit evidence and make recommendations to the committee reviewing the Bill, to try and make nature’s voice heard in the decision-making.

We’ve also sent a briefing to all of Norfolk’s MPs, asking for their support during the committee discussions taking place from 22 April – 22 May.

We are calling for four amendments to be made to the Bill:

· Prioritise avoiding harm: Developers must prioritise avoiding environmental damage before relying on mitigation schemes, with harm to protected sites only permitted for overriding public interest.

· Base decisions on science: New protected features should only be added when clear scientific evidence supports the effectiveness of strategic approaches.

· Guarantee upfront benefits: Environmental improvements must be delivered upfront, especially for irreplaceable or significant damage, with a clear and transparent improvement plan.

· Ensure “Net Gain for nature: Strengthen the improvement test to require definite, measurable, and significant benefits, rather than just probable improvements.

We are also pushing for the Government to improve protections for chalk streams, local wildlife sites and create wildbelts, to protect land that is supporting nature’s recovery.

The committee will then submit a draft of the Bill to the government to review. Amending the Bill to be better for both people and nature.

What can I do?

Co-sign our open letter

The Wildlife Trusts are sending an open letter to Angela Rayner, the Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to ask that our government creates a Bill that will help recover nature so that everyone can benefit from a flourishing natural world. By co-signing the letter, you will add your voice to ours and can also add your own thoughts about the "nature vs development" debate.

Sign the letter and have your say

Letter to Secretary of State, Angela Rayner MP

Contact your MP

Speaking with your local MP between now and 22 May about the importance of this Bill and the problems it will cause for nature is vital to bring about changes that will be positive for nature.

Please call your MP, meet them in person, or email them to raise our concerns about the impact of this Bill on nature.

You can find your MP here

Enter your postcode then click on “Send a message”

There is some suggested wording below that you could use, but messages have the biggest impact when they are personal, so include details of your favourite local green space in Norfolk, why you are passionate about Norfolk’s nature and why it is important to you that the Government doesn’t weaken environmental protections.

Dear MP

As one of your constituents, I am writing to ask you to speak up for nature in Norfolk. I am passionate about our local natural environment and am concerned that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill could lead to the loss of some of our most precious habitats and species. The Prime Minister has said the bill can deliver a“win-win” for nature and growth. However, his newt and bat blaming rhetoric means it is difficult to believe he has the best intentions for nature at heart.

The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and without sufficient action, this trend is set to continue. In Norfolk, we have a great responsibility. Our county is home to a high proportion of the UK’s most wildlife-rich habitats including chalk streams, reedbed, fens, dry acid grassland and coastal sand dunes. It is our duty to protect and restore Norfolk’s unique landscape to secure a future for our wildlife, to combat the impacts of climate change and to safeguard access to clean air, water and nutritious food for our communities.

The Planning and Infrastructure Bill risks creating a “cash to trash” system where developers can simply pay a levy to destroy nature. The Government needs to rethink its approach, prioritise avoiding harm to nature, and strengthen, not weaken, the protections for our most unique species and habitats.

Yours sincerely,

[NAME]

[ADDRESS]