Planning & Infrastructure Bill

The Wildlife Trusts relaunch postcard action. In a bid to remind MPs how important nature is to the British public, we're encouraing nature-lovers to send a postcard to their MP using The Wildlife Trusts' simple, online action:

Send a postcard to your MP

The Wildlife Trusts condemn the Government’s last gasp changes to the Bill that threaten nature, and in an updated briefing on the Bill, urge MPs to reject suggestions for the Bill that will restrict local councils to refuse planning permission - posing a huge risk to local wildlife and habitats. Read the full briefing.

Throughout September – The Bill progresses through the House of Lords. Amendments to the Bill were negotiated between the Lords and the Commons, including minor tweaks to nature protections that the Wildlife Trusts remain concerned about.

August - Parliament in recess.

July – Government tabled amendments to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in the House of Lords to introduce safeguards for nature it claims would prevent existing environmental protections being weakened. Read our reaction here.

25 June - Planning & Infrastructure Bill debated in House of Lords for the first time. 

10 June - The Wildlife Trsuts call out inaccuracies in Commons debate. During the Commons Report stage of the Planning Bill, the Minister and some MPs made incorrect statements about the relationship between nature protections and housing provision, and the impact of the Bill on those protections. Read the full analysis.

9 June - Commons rejects amends to protect nature. A series of amendmends to the Bill - including those proposed by Suffolk Coastal MP Jenny Riddell-Carptener - to strengthen protectations for nature were debated in the House of Commons and voted against.

8 June - 25,000 nature-lovers email their MPs, including over 1,000 from Suffolk - thank you! We hope this will put pressure on MPs to challegne Labour's party-line ahead of amends to the Bill being voted on.

3 June - CEOs of Suffolk Wildlife Trust and Norfolk Wildlife Trust meet MPs in Wesminster. We had some excellent discusions with Jess Asato (Lowestoft MP), Jenny Riddell-Carpenter (Suffolk Coastal MP), and Ben Goldborough (South Norfolk MP) - and were pleased that Suffolk MPs wanted to hear our concerns for nature. The feedback from them was that they didn’t fully understand the Bill’s risk to nature; highlighting the importance for us as Wildlife Trusts to continue to analyse the Bill and keep them MPs informed- plus why it’s critical that everyone emails their MP.

23 May - New evidence shows nature does not block growth. A new report published - based on research by Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Wilder Ecology consultancy - reveals only 3% of planning decision have been blocked by bats and great crested newts is blocked by nature. This evidence that nature does not block growth is published as the Planning & Infrastructure Bill reached a critical stage when the Committee discussion of the Bill ended.

20 May - Open letter handed to Government. The Wildlife Trusts handed in their open letter to Westminster, urging the Government to listen to evidence and amend the Bill for nature. A huge thank you to the 542 members and supports from Suffolk who signed the open letter!