A parliamentary event last night saw a rare cross-party consensus of concern as nature experts, MPs and peers spoke out about the potential environmental impact of Nuclear Regulatory Review's recommendations - some expressing 'horror' at the flawed evidence in the review.

Titled ‘Don’t turn the nature crisis into catastrophe’, the event was hosted by Labour MP Chris Hinchliff and it set out to highlight serious inaccuracies in the Review, following a report by The Wildlife Trusts. There was much discussion of false narratives being circulated by lobby groups and think tanks - and of repeated exaggeration of the costs of preventing harm to nature and a minimisation of the impact to wildlife of development. 

At the event, The Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, the National Trust, Wildlife and Countryside Link and others described the situation as urgent because the Prime Minister has suggested that all of the Review's recommendations could be progressed by the Government despite two Early Day Motions signed by over 60 MPs expressing concern. 

Earlier this week The Wildlife Trusts published a report, Why the Nuclear Regulatory Review is flawed and how it could turn the nature crisis into a catastrophe.

At the event, MP Chris Hinchliff said: 

“The public love nature, and the polling is crystal clear – if planning is to be reformed, people want more protection for nature, not less. Time and again, nature is blamed for developer failure and incompetence. Risking ecological disaster is not a shortcut around delivery challenges – it is playing fast and loose with our food security, our wildlife, and our natural heritage. 

“We are already one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth. This is not the moment to tear up the few protections we have left. It’s time for a wake-up call. There are no more branches left to prune without killing the tree. That’s why I’m calling time on decline. We need clear red lines for nature – and the political will to fight for them.”  

Debbie Tann MBE, chief executive of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said:  

“I want to focus on one simple but critical point: the Nuclear Regulatory Review is built on a flawed diagnosis. And when a problem is misdiagnosed, the wrong cure is prescribed. The Review claims that environmental regulation, particularly the Habitats Regulations and duties relating to Protected Landscapes, is a major cause of delay and cost in nuclear delivery and should therefore be sustantially changed. That claim does not stand up to scrutiny. 

"The Nuclear Regulatory Review adopts developer talking points without testing them, misrepresents evidence, ignores expert input, and once again tries to pitch environmental protection against economic growth."

Beccy Speight, RSPB chief executive, reflected that “if we can split the atom to create nuclear energy, surely we can find a solution that works for renewable energy and nature”. She added that the review’s recommendations would make it unlikely that the UK could meet its environmental targets.  

Adam Royle, head of public affairs at National Trust spoke about the review’s proposal to ‘remove or constrain’ the duty that directs public bodies to help National Parks and National Landscape authorities protect wild spaces. He noted that if the duty is scrapped, this would extend far beyond nuclear and would have impacts for water pollution and the economic benefits National Parks bring local communities.  

Ali Plummer, director of policy and advocacy at Wildlife and Countryside Link, reminded attendees that the choice of whether we are to meet our legally binding nature targets rests on this Government, and that nature is a unifying force across the political divide. 

Matthew Browne, head of public affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, said: 

“It is rare for MPs and representatives of all parties, plus environmental organisations, to come together like this, and it shows how worried we are about the future of nature protections. MPs have shared their sheer horror at the scapegoating of nature and at the flawed logic, half-truths and downright errors contained in the review. 

“Whilst the Nuclear Regulatory Review authors fell hook, line and sinker for inaccuracies from self-interested developers, the Government can do better. Ministers must reject the flawed nature recommendations from the review, follow the evidence and act in the public interest. We can’t let inaccurate and self-serving developer exaggerations drive public policy to disastrous outcomes.”