Wildlife trust warns devolution plans could fail nature

The warning came at a Westminster event hosted by Jenny Riddell-Carpenter MP on Thursday January 8, as the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill continued its passage through the House of Lords.

The Bill sets out the framework for the government’s devolution agenda, which would create new mayoral authorities across England with increased powers and resources, including strategic planning and local growth.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust organised the gathering, bringing together MPs, local leaders and environmental organisations to argue that devolution must actively drive nature recovery, rather than treat it as an afterthought.

Wildlife Trusts from across the country attended, including those from Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampshire and the Solent, all of which have been selected for the Government’s devolution priority programme.

The Trust said devolved powers could unlock real progress for nature at a local level, but only if councils are given clear responsibilities and the tools needed to act.

Its key demands include updated environmental duties for councils that reflect the scale and urgency of the climate crisis, stronger alignment between local growth plans and nature recovery strategies, and new community powers such as a strengthened ‘right-to-buy’ to protect land that provides access to wildlife-rich spaces.

Debbie Tann MBE, chief executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, said: “Britain’s prosperity is built on functioning natural systems. Pollinators, floodplains, clean water, fertile soils, a stable climate aren’t just environmental ‘nice-to-haves’ – they’re the basics we all rely on.

“Devolution must lock in a nature-positive approach to foster healthier communities, a thriving economy and nature’s recovery. If this Bill fails to embed nature at its heart, wild places across the country will continue to pay the price, and so will we.”

Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, MP for Suffolk Coastal, said: “Protecting nature works best when decisions are made closest to the places we are trying to protect. Devolution gives communities the power to improve nature, increase biodiversity and do more to clean up our rivers and seas.”

Policy briefings from The Wildlife Trusts concerning the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill can be found here: https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/english-devolution-and-community-empowerment-bill