Email your MP
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Our MPs need to know what we think about planning issues.
Some people tell us 'my MP does nothing for me', but they still need to hear from us. So please take the time to write.
And do let us know if you receive a reply.
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You can find your MP's contact details via your postcode, here: https://members.parliament.uk/members/commons
Don't forget to include your home address, as proof that you have contacted them as one of their constituents.
Subject: I care about nature and the environment - please protect it in planning legislation
Dear [INSERT MP NAME HERE],
I am a Community Planning Alliance (CPA) supporter and one of your constituents. More than 700 campaign groups have now registered themselves on the CPA Grassroots Map - a clear indicator that the planning system and local democracy are very broken.
The Planning & Infrastructure Bill has been passed but there is still a way that nature and the environment can be protected. There is likely to be a new NPPF before the end of the year, as well as reforms to Biodiversity Net Gain and as Nature has no voice, I am asking you to speak for it.
The Bill as passed poses an unprecedented risk to nature. Do not be fooled by the 'nature restoration' label. This simply masks the fact that developers will be able to pay to plunder. It's a cash to trash scheme. You do not restore nature by allowing developers to pay a fee to destroy habitats and species (especially when the Bill even contains a clause saying that the fee must not affect project viability!) This scheme is all about developers and has nothing to do with nature.
The proposed Environmental Delivery Plans have not been created using evidence. There is nothing in the Bill about protecting nature. The Mitigation Hierarchy is entirely missing. The Bill has ignored the interventions and submissions of ecologists.
Here's what Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management has said about plans to change BNG:
"We need all MPs to use their influence to stop the Government catastrophically eviscerating biodiversity net gain (BNG) policy.
Nature is in trouble and that is bad news for the economy and for health and wellbeing. Ground-breaking approaches such as mandatory BNG, which was legislated for in the 2021 Environment Act, have the potential to turn the tide on nature recovery and deliver tangible benefits to local communities.
The Government is proposing to extend the de minimis boundary to 0.5 ha. This means that 97% of development sites would no longer be subject to mandatory BNG. This is, quite simply, eviscerating the policy, would wipe £50 million from the private nature investment market in a stroke and be devastating for nature recovery."
The Bill as passed poses an unprecedented risk to nature. Do not be fooled by the 'nature restoration' label. This simply masks the fact that developers will be able to pay to plunder. It's a cash to trash scheme. You do not restore nature by allowing developers to pay a fee to destroy habitats and species (especially when the Bill even contains a clause saying that the fee must not affect project viability!) This scheme is all about developers and has nothing to do with nature.
The proposed Environmental Delivery Plans have not been created using evidence. There is nothing in the Bill about protecting nature. The Mitigation Hierarchy is entirely missing. The Bill has ignored the interventions and submissions of ecologists.
Here's what Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management has said about plans to change BNG:
"We need all MPs to use their influence to stop the Government catastrophically eviscerating biodiversity net gain (BNG) policy.
Nature is in trouble and that is bad news for the economy and for health and wellbeing. Ground-breaking approaches such as mandatory BNG, which was legislated for in the 2021 Environment Act, have the potential to turn the tide on nature recovery and deliver tangible benefits to local communities.
The Government is proposing to extend the de minimis boundary to 0.5 ha. This means that 97% of development sites would no longer be subject to mandatory BNG. This is, quite simply, eviscerating the policy, would wipe £50 million from the private nature investment market in a stroke and be devastating for nature recovery."
I am urging you to do whatever you can to influence the Government to be true to its commitment to nature recovery and to change the de minimis to 0.1 ha and not 0.5 ha. Otherwise mandatory BNG will quite simply fail. I request an urgent response. What can you do to intervene and prevent this hugely risky and backward step? Nature is already on its knees.
Kind regards,
[INSERT YOUR NAME HERE]
[ADDRESS]
[ADDRESS]
Please note: Details of the CPA map can be found at www.CommunityPlanningAlliance.org
