If you care about nature recovery in Staffordshire, the last few months have been grim. Even our most environmentally friendly MPs seem to have turned their back on our wildlife. 

The changes aren’t small tweaks—they are a major step back from the commitments the Government has previously made, and strike at the heart of what sustains our economy: a healthy natural environment.  
 
After voting through the damaging Planning and Infrastructure Bill, the Government now looks set to abandon its pledge that development would support nature’s recovery. It’s just announced that it wants to strip back Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) - a revolutionary policy that was designed to ensure building projects give more back to nature than they take – so that it doesn’t now apply to a whole swathe of development. 

At the same time, ministers have hinted at rolling back nature-friendly farming measures under Environmental Land Management schemes and weakening Habitats Regulations, the vital laws protecting Britain’s most valuable and internationally significant wildlife sites and species.  

The Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan has recently been published with a series of commitments to nature recovery targets; yet these policy changes will frustrate efforts to hit targets. It makes no sense. 

The Government seems intent on scapegoating nature as a blocker to development, rather than addressing the real issues such as underfunded planning departments, skills shortages in construction, and land-banking by developers. This growth at all costs approach will pile more pressure on Staffordshire’s wildlife and wild places, and stall efforts to put nature in recovery. 

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust is not against development. We’re committed to being a constructive and collaborative partner in the development of Local Plans with Local Authorities. These present a fabulous opportunity to align housing growth with the protection and enhancement of the local environment, which is especially important in this biodiversity crisis. We want to ensure that development is guided by sound ecological principles and delivers long-term benefits for both people and wildlife. 

And we’ve already shown what’s possible. Housing development and nature recovery can co-exist. Here in Staffordshire, Rugeley Riverside is a housing development which has space for nature designed in; 2,500 homes will be built alongside a new 26-hectare haven for wildlife by the river Trent. BNG has helped make this possible. We need more of these visionary projects; they are good for people, good for wildlife, and good for a healthy economy.  

What you can do 

With your support and the right action now, we can still turn things around and create a wilder, healthier future for nature and people in Staffordshire.  

Please help defend nature and send a postcard to your MP now to tell them you care about the nature around you, and you want them to do what they can to keep nature safe and healthy. 

Defend Nature | Wildlife Trusts