CommunityPlanningAlliance 🦇🦎

Countryside comes out to fight Labour’s plans to build on green belt. 220 groups, thousands of voters, across the country. We will all #VoteForNature @Keir_Starmer @KemiBadenoch @Nigel_Farage @EdwardJDavey @ZackPolanski telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/1…

Closing the de minimis loophole is critical if BNG is going to work for both nature and development. In our joint blog with The Wildlife Trusts, we show Government is making some progress on nature-friendly development policy: ✅ Some proposed BNG exemptions have already been reduced or removed ✅ Major infrastructure projects will soon fall under BNG rules But these improvements could be undermined if abuses of loopholes are allowed to continue: ❌️ Many larger developments are using exemptions designed for tiny projects - the de minimis loophole ❌️86% of residential planning applications claimed BNG exemptions in the policy’s first year. ❌️An area the size of Manchester is being lost to development annually without meeting biodiversity obligations. Defra must close the BNG loopholes to support wildlife and sustainable development. Read the blog here: wildlifetrusts.org/blog/public-af…

Not good news! "So far, the UK is on track to achieve three of the 23 targets by 2030." "However, for 19 targets, progress is being made at an insufficient rate and progress against one target is unknown."

"I know from past experience, alongside residents, any dilution of green space, including green fields and river footpaths, is not welcome." Full story: bbc.in/3QSwek3

Well here is the aerial view showing construction of the @SEGROplc Radlett Logistics Park on 420 acres of St Albans #greenbelt in all its glory .. the red dot to the left is my cul de sac in what was once a very peaceful village ..we didn’t ask for this gigantic development but @EricPickles decided to give it planning permission thanks to @Simon4NDorset lobbying for it who’s now far away from the all this hell. @CommunityPlann1 @libdemdaisy @PROT_DISEWORTH

a King's speech for nature - eight new bills to tackle the nature crisis wildlifetrusts.org/news/kings-spe…

Nobody won a mandate for destroying nature and the countryside but that is what your policies and rhetoric seek to do. #VoteForNature

“Planning policy in Wales recognises that the ‘setting’ of an historic site is crucial to its integrity. Pumlumon is a culturally significant landscape. I could not imagine a wind farm gaining consent at Glastonbury Tor, could you?” open.substack.com/pub/notanimby/…

Campaigners are racing to save the mother tree of the Bramley apple – a 220-year-old tree in Nottinghamshire that traces every Bramley apple in the world back to a single pip. Planted in the 19th century, it’s still fruiting today, but now faces an uncertain future as its cottage goes up for sale. Supporters want to buy the site and turn it into a heritage centre, preserving a living piece of Britain’s culinary history for the nation. #Apple #Heritage #Trees #Environment #FoodHistory #Conservation theguardian.com/culture/2026/m…

@CommunityPlann1 Environmental Impact Assessments don't include the emissions from the travel generated. They don't consider the additional delay which causes traffic to travel further using more totally unsuitable routes through environmentally sensitive areas.

Another very interesting example of where national policy has impacted local election results: Crews Hill in Enfield A major new town is planned here Enfield council now has no overall majority and the Greens hold the balance of power The Tories and Greens are said to be set to hold talks on building new housing on the Green Belt here Britain needs new towns and new homes. But has the government’s communication on this harmed their agenda? “Build Baby Build”? Red hard hats? Talking about blockers and NIMBYs rather than working to bring communities with them? Based on what I’ve heard all over the country…yes

8.5 square miles. Approx 10% of Romney Marsh is being targeted by these solar developers SSE, EDF & Low Carbon. The panels are 4m high. The height of a bungalow. There is NOTHING environmentally friendly about these developments.

5 times higher emissions than originally stated theguardian.com/technology/202…

Interesting from @EnfieldDispatch on how Greens plan to work w/ a minority Conservative council to stop Labour house building plans. Will be interesting to see how that plays out. Feel there could be a tension between Green nimby-ism vs housing concerns of younger voters.

Still a long way to go to get the necessary signatures on our petition - we need 10,000 to secure a response from the government and 100,000 to secure a parliamentary debate on the issue.petition.parliament.uk/petitions/7648…

We sent this letter to @Keir_Starmer BEFORE the general election. His intent towards nature and communities was clear, and it has not played out well in the local elections. He still owes his electorate an apology. (This was signed by 725 community campaigners). @CommunityPlann1

Me too. There was never any need to say it. It was never a good idea to alienate any of the electorate, let alone the nature-loving majority. And it showed utter contempt for voters (and for nature) which was not a good look. It shouldn’t have needed focus group testing but clearly in their arrogance they didn’t bother with any.

Voters want you to stop building over their nature reserves. Will you listen to the millions of nature lovers or continue to ignore us?

We need our best farmland for food and nature

ENVIRONMENT: Anger is growing as more housing developments proposed for green field sites in and around Nantwich - our latest readers' letters here thenantwichnews.co.uk/category/featu…

.@Keir_Starmer If you're in any doubt about the strength of feeling about #environmental protection, you should watch the celebration of #SirDavidAttenborough's 100th birthday. Surely it's time to change @UKLabour's approach to #development & stop building on greenfield sites?