Category Archives: Planning
Defra programmes and policies: an update
Over the past year, there have been a range of new initiatives from Defra to protect and enhance the natural environment, ranging from biodiversity offsetting to reviewing their public bodies. The all-party parliamentary group on Conservation and Wildlife met on … Continue reading
Business and the environment: Ecosystems Market Task Force release final report
The value of the environment for business is often underestimated. Although the business world uses natural services and products for operations, it does not always understand its true reliance on nature and the need to value it correctly. Overcoming this … Continue reading
Planning for 'No Net Loss' of Biodiversity
A briefing note published by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology this week (POSTnote 429) is critical of the quality of information, local authority decision-making, monitoring and research concerning the incorporation of biodiversity into planning decisions in England. Despite … Continue reading
New Planning Guidance for England: Analysis by the IEEM
On 27 March, the UK Government published its final version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which sets out the Government’s planning policies for England and how they should be applied. The final NPPF is an improvement (for nature … Continue reading
Launch of ‘Landscapes of the Future’
‘Landscapes of the Future’ the new Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology POSTnote written by the current BES POST fellow Eleanor Kean was launched today. ‘Landscapes of the Future’ focuses on the benefits that we derive from our landscapes, and … Continue reading
New Guardian campaign highlights nature preservation, piece by piece
A new campaign by the Guardian newspaper seeks to challenge ‘ill-conceived’ developments on nationally and internationally important habitats, by highlighting local campaigns against them from around the country. By collating a catalogue of developments, from large national projects to small … Continue reading
UK Climate Change Projections 2009
Today (18th June) the UK Climate Projections 2009 report (UKCP09) was launched by Hilary Benn MP (Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). The primarily Defra-funded report allows us to understand how the UK’s climate (temperature, rainfall, sea-level, … Continue reading
True Cost of Severn Barrage
A new report by Frontier Economics commissioned by NGOs including the RSPB and National Trust, suggests that a tidal barrage is the least cost-effective way of generating renewable energy for the UK. The barrage could potentially supply 5% of the … Continue reading