Not so green with envy given some of the Government's recent decisions (c) Andrew Walmsley
This week has seen some of the UK’s largest conservation organisations come together in a backlash over what appears to be an endless eroding of our environmental laws and guidelines.
Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Paul Corner, planning and advocacy officer, explains why the frustration is reaching boiling point:
“In his Autumn Statement last week George Osborne, continued the self-proclaimed ‘Greenest Government Ever’ theme, by delivering some of the most anti-environmental rhetoric seen so far from this Government. Mr Osborne seemed to imply that the habitats and species protected by the Habitats Regulations (the Birds & Habitats Directive) are in some way culpable in preventing economic growth.
He sees the Habitat Regulations as a “ridiculous cost on British business”, claiming that they added up to what was “gold plating” on European legislation. This is a claim that the Davidson Report (2006) found was not the case.
The robust planning protection that has been put together over the past 10 years or so is being eroded away
For Mr Osborne and Mr Cameron the environment, especially our wildlife and habitats, seem to be an easy target, with the planning system as their main attack vehicle. The robust planning protection that has been put together over the past 10 years or so is being eroded away, through proposed policy changes such as the National Planning Policy Framework, with its build first, ask questions later theme.
On top of all this the National Infrastructure Plan (NIP) announced by the Chancellor in his statement, requires Natural England and the Environment Agency to report back to the cabinet exactly what they have done to support economic development, with the NIP stating ‘The Government will consider provisions to ensure progress is reported back to Ministers and strengthen relationship management by the bodies with major developers’
They further erode the effectiveness of the agencies by stating ‘Government will ensure the key consenting and advisory agencies have a remit to promote sustainable development.’ And that they ‘will ensure that these bodies are alive to the impact of their decisions upon sustainable economic growth and on economically significant projects’
What is clear from the NIP is that the Government agencies set up to protect the environment will be used to deliver economic growth through sustainable development.
These observations and conclusions are echoed by many, and the common theme in one of broad condemnation of what is being proposed.
Other bloggers, such as Miles King of the Grasslands Trust, summed the current situation up by stating,
‘As Natural England is weakened by every cut and thrust, nature becomes more threatened; and the role of conservation NGOs becomes more difficult. We all now need to stand up to defend our statutory conservation bodies against this anti-environmental onslaught.’
Further comments can be seen here:
The Guardian, front page
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/dec/03/new-green-alliance-savages-osborne
The Wildlife Trusts
http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/eu-wildlife-laws-at-risk
The RSPB
http://www.rspb.org.uk/news/298477-rspb-shock-at-osborne-attack-on-environmental-rules
Far from ‘gold-plating’ the European habitats regulations, in fact this country is bottom of the list! We have the lowest proportion of our land area designated as European Special Protection Areas (under the Birds Directive) or Special Areas of Conservation (under the Habitats Directive); lower than any other EU country.
The figures, with maps and tables, are at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/natura2000/barometer/docs/spa.pdf