Growing the future: Post-election priorities for the natural environment
Dr James Cooper, Head of Government Affairs
| Woodland Trust
Dr James Cooper, Head of Government Affairs at the Woodland Trust, sets out the priorities for the natural environment in the next parliament.
It’s fair to say that the natural environment has largely been conspicuous by its absence from this election campaign – although a very well attended hustings of party environment spokespeople took place in central London on Tuesday evening – organised by the Greener UK coalition and chaired by Woodland Trust President, broadcaster Clive Anderson.
The lack of airtime does little justice to importance of the challenges ahead however.
Firstly, the UK’s cherished landscapes, wildlife and natural environment enjoy a degree of protection from a range of regulations and legislation - much of which derives from the EU. We must fully transpose and maintain existing EU environmental laws and principles into UK law and ensure we have the necessary governance arrangements in place for robust implementation and enforcement. We should allow no opportunity for gaps to open up without thorough parliamentary scrutiny.
Secondly, turning to trees and woods specifically, leaving the EU provides a once in a generation opportunity to shape a new UK land use policy, with trees and woods far more to the fore. From development pressures to climate change, from pests and diseases to over-grazing, our woods are faced with huge challenges. Moreover declining planting rates under successive governments have done little to address the fact we have amongst the lowest levels of woodland cover in Europe (13% UK overall and only 10% for England compared with 38% for the EU overall).
That such a decline should take place at a time when work such as the National Ecosystem Assessment and that of the Natural Capital Committee is demonstrating the ability of woods and trees to help tackle some of the great policy challenges of our age such as climate change and public health makes this a startling example of an area where it is high time policy caught up with evidence.
A new approach is needed through a strong 25 year plan and subsequent legislation which recognises the benefits trees and woods provide and the contribution they can make as an integral part of farming systems.
It is encouraging that most of the main party manifestos recognised the importance of having policies in relation to trees and woods. Two early priorities for action, regardless of the outcome of the election, provide an opportunity for new ministers to show they really “get it”:
Firstly, the Government’s Housing White Paper ‘Fixing our Broken Housing Market’ set out the welcome and overdue intention to increase protection for ancient woodland. For this to deliver meaningful protection however the National Planning Policy Framework must be amended to provide protection for ancient woodlands, (‘nature’s cathedrals” as they have been described) , veteran and aged trees equivalent to that provided for the built heritage by stating that development should be ‘wholly exceptional’. The present wording, allowing for development where the benefit is deemed to outweigh the loss, is ineffective (over 1, 000 ancient woods threatened over the last 10 years) and out of step with the importance society attaches to this irreplaceable part of our heritage.
Secondly, the Commons EFRA select committee published its excellent report ‘Forestry in England: Seeing the wood for the trees’ at the end of March. This was awaiting a Government response at the time the election was called. It made a number of important recommendations around the protection of ancient woodland and boosting of planting rates – not least around better and clearer incentives for the latter.
It is important that the report receives an early response of the calibre it warrants and is a trigger for action. The reward for ministers will be finding that in doing so they are delivering across a far wider range of Government and public priorities than their own brief alone.
You can read the Woodland Trust’s manifesto here
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