The Planning & Infrastructure Bill is currently going through the House of Parliament with last minute amendments. This is extremely worrying since it includes new powers for ministers to overrule local planning decisions and proposals to reduce Natural England’s oversight on more ‘minor’ developments.
We need to ensure that the regeneration of our natural environment is encouraged, not obliterated as would happen under the new regime. Nature positive planning should be at the heart of all decision making. By this I mean regenerative farming, nature restoration, natural flood management, innovations in local food production and distribution, and new cultural elements in the landscape such as new permissive pathways and green spaces.