Why 'Project Speed' could be dangerous for our National Parks

We have recently joined with other members of Wildlife and Countryside Link to highlight concerns about Government plans to reduce environmental protections as part of attempts to restart the economy. The Government's Project Speed proposals are aimed at developing and delivering infrastructure projects more quickly by removing various planning requirements which help protect and enhance wildlife. 

Our National Parks are living, working landscapes and we recognise that they cannot be frozen in time, but nor do we want to see the very things that make them special destroyed in a rush for inappropriate development. Relaxing planning requirements in these areas would not only be bad for the environment, but it would also be counter-productive in terms of the economic recovery.  Tourism plays a huge part in the local economy of National Parks, and many people visit precisely because of the high-quality environment in these areas. The challenge is to ensure that change is managed carefully and for that we need a strong, well-resourced planning system, and that is why we are supporting Link's work in this area.

Link has produced a paper which demonstrates that rather than delaying economic development, environmental protections are vital to ensuring the development of healthy, sustainable communities. The paper also sets out an alternative approach to ensuring the planning system can deliver for people, wildlife and the economy. 

Making sure the Tree Strategy delivers for National Parks

Defra has recently launched a public consultation to inform the new England Tree Strategy, which will be published later this year. This strategy will set out the Government's forestry policy up to 2050, including how parts of a £640 million Nature for Climate Fund should be used to support tree planting.

We shall be responding to this consultation welcoming the opportunities to increase trees and woodlands in National Parks and highlighting issues that need to be given more emphasis in the final strategy. For example, although trees have many benefits including storing carbon, reducing flooding and supporting wildlife, there are certain locations where new tree planting would not be appropriate. We would like the strategy to place more emphasis on supporting other important habitats such as peatland and open grassland and on ensuring that plans for more trees take account of landscape character. We also want to see more emphasis on supporting natural regeneration and the appropriate management of existing woodlands as well as planting new trees.

You can read the full consultation document and submit your own response here. The deadline is 11 September 2020.

(Photo of an oak seedling by the Northumberland National Park Authority)

Nature up close and personal: A wellbeing experiment 

During this period of lockdown and social isolation, many of us have learned (or rediscovered) the importance of engaging with nature to our happiness and wellbeing. Maybe we are noticing nature more in gardens and parks, the countryside, or simply looking from our windows.  

The latest findings from the People and Nature Survey for England include that during the period 1–31 May, 60% of adults in England said that they had spent time outside in green and natural spaces in the previous two weeks. This is an increase in comparison to April (up from 49%). 

Engaging with nature will remain valuable, even as lockdown restrictions are being eased. But what we don’t yet know is how different types of nature activities affect us. To help answer this question the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), University of Derby and the British Science Association are asking members of the public to take part in a research project Nature Up Close and Personal.

This project will take place across six weeks and will determine what effect interacting and being aware of nature has on wellbeing. By joining in, you will be asked to take part in simple, nature-based activities, allowing you to experience nature up close and personal – spending ten minutes or so each day for five days over the course of a week. You will be asked a few short questions to learn more about your experiences. Whether you are a nature nerd or nature usually passes you by – this is for you. Together we can discover how our wellbeing is affected noticing nature up close and personal.  

Take part today: www.ceh.ac.uk/natureupclose 

(Photo by New Forest National Park Authority)

Further reading…