Joan Edwards OBE, director of policy and public affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, says: 

“In today’s budget, Rachel Reeves has allayed immediate fears that another wildlife-harming Planning Bill could be announced.  

“However, we are not out of the woods yet. The risk of destroying Biodiversity Net Gain ambition, together with recent Nuclear Taskforce recommendations which could undermine environmental regulations, still cast doubt as to whether nature will be able to thrive alongside new homes and infrastructure. Meanwhile, policy and budget flip-flops are continuing to undermine farmers’ efforts to produce food sustainably.  

“The UK is a nation of nature lovers – but wildlife is still in freefall and has been for decades. Without significant investment, nature cannot perform its vital role in underpinning our growth and economic resilience. We urge the Government to remember that it promised to save nature, to end the ongoing uncertainty about further nature-damaging planning policies, and to get to work on taking nature and climate action seriously before it is too late for our communities, people’s health, and the economy.”