Wildlife protections in danger

The Local Plan relies on a system of appraisal under the Habitats Regulations to steer development away from sites of sensitive and high value ecology. It looks as if the government’s drive for deregulation will include scrapping the Habitats Regulations. This would be a disaster for wildlife and allow development to destroy habitats even more wantonly than at present.

For over 30 years the Habitats Regulations have played a vital role in protecting our most precious natural habitats by providing a framework within which development decisions can be made whilst considering their impact on nature, thereby giving some protection to our natural environment for both nature and people.