Lords Urged to Disarm the Planning & Infrastructure Bill
**Update 5 Nov 2025**
Please email your MP and ask them to keep a vital amendment that protects habitats and species
Ask your MP to keep Amendment 130
With the UK government's push for economic growth, we are seeing changes to the planning system that are looking to streamline and fast-track the process.
We are concerned that these planning reforms could have devastating impacts for wildlife and sites protected for their value for biodiversity. One of the most worrying reforms is the Planning & Infrastructure Bill, which was introduced earlier this year and is now reaching what may be its final stages in parliament before becoming law.
The Bill, as it currently stands, represents one of the largest dismantling of protections ever seen for the most precious wildlife habitats and species.
However, a new proposal from a group of peers could disarm the most damaging aspect of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill and reduce the risks that it currently poses to the natural world.
Undermining protections for wildlife
Part 3 of the Planning & Infrastructure Bill introduces a new system where environmental impacts of development in some locations could seek to be addressed through Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs). The peers’ proposal would mean that protected wildlife – from woodlands and sand dunes to otters and barn owls – would not be covered by EDPs and so would be saved from a broad-brush approach that threatens to undermine their protection.
As the Bill nears its final debate in the House of Lords, The Wildlife Trusts are calling on peers to support Amendment 130 – tabled by Baroness Willis of Summertown and a strong coalition of other peers – which would remove sensitive natural habitats and species from the EDP process.
We urge peers to adopt this amendment to reduce the risk of damaging an already severely diminished natural world, alongside supporting efforts to further minimise the threat by adding the mitigation hierarchy to the Bill.
The mitigation hierarchy is the tried and tested principle that requires developers to first seek to avoid harm to nature, and to only move to mitigation and then compensation as a last resort. The continued absence of the mitigation hierarchy from the face of the Bill is a sizable missing piece within the new EDP system.
"Crunch time"
“It’s crunch time for improving this extremely damaging Bill and for reducing its very real risk to wildlife," says Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts.
"Report after report catalogues appalling nature declines – only last week we heard of another species becoming extinct in Europe, the beautiful slender-billed curlew. The approach that the Bill currently sets out could lead to one of the biggest reversals of protections for our precious wildlife that we’ve ever seen, paving the way to more such extinctions.
“The Government appears intent on taking power and decision making away from local communities whilst Rachel Reeves peddles lies scapegoating nature for a struggling economy.
"The Government can still get this right – we need homes for people, but destroying homes for wildlife is not the way to do it. We urge peers to rally behind this truth.”
We are watching carefully to see what shape the Bill is in when it comes back in front of MPs in November. You can expect to hear from us as soon as that's clear, with a call to action for all supporters of wildlife in Sussex to speak out as needed.
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**Update 5 Nov 2025**
Please email your MP and ask them to keep a vital amendment that protects habitats and species
Comments
I do soo hope the Peers support the amendment. Please keep us informed and let us know how we can help if the amendment isn’t adopted.
23 Oct 2025 10:25:00
We are part of the natural world, of we destroy that our lives will be curtailed, mean little existences. Nature is not the reason houses are not built, human greed is the reason why certain places( nature) are so attractive for developers .
23 Oct 2025 10:32:00
I live in the Gatwick Diamond. The second runway has been approved. That means the creation of 14000 new Jobs.The jobs will be across the broadest spectrum. Many new workers will be recruited and at least half of them will need housing in the Diamond.
Bright & Hove, East Sussex and West Sussex have built or approved of nearly ALL available and allocated sites..
What shall WE do?
Sensible and kindly answers only please.
23 Oct 2025 11:05:00
Why is the government not pursuing obvious solutions to the shortage of housing. a) there are thousands of empty and abandoned homes in Britain. However, no legislation is available to CPO them on behalf of the Local Authorities, and/or take them into LA ownership if there’s no apparent owner or heir. If there were (and the condition and market value at time of taking over recorded, should an heir appear later on and try to claim the restored building’s value!) homes could be put back into use; b) what stops developers wanting to revamp and reconstruct older/abandoned properties is that they DO NOT pay VAT on materials used for new builds, but they do for renovation of existing buildings; c) if developers do purchase and demolish an older site, they are frequently given planning permission to squeeze far too many homes onto a site for maximum profit. This must be stopped; D) it’s all very well paying lip service to renewable energy and the environment by bunging a few solar panels on a roof, but where developments of, say, 10 properties or more are planned (and yes, that DOES mean playing by the book, not trying to do it in smaller tranches on the same section land) why are they not being tasked with water-recirculation? Waste water from sinks, baths and washing machines could flow into a communal underground holding tank, which can then be used to flush toilets. There are even ways of purifying the water so that it comes out almost perfectly clear. Where is the thought and imagination? These people are supposed to be intelligent, thinking folk who are supposed to work FOR us!
23 Oct 2025 11:08:00
Hello I really feel disheartened that in this day and age of massive decline in the natural world and all it’s precious creatures and habitat that this bill is looking at
being passed. There so often with development is a lack of thought for the environment. Once built upon this land will never be returned to nature. We are custodians of the future for our children & grand children they too will wonder why this was allowed to happen as I doubt there will be many native species left at this
rate. Let’s hope the Lords can bring enlightenment to this bill.
23 Oct 2025 11:34:00
As a country we should be protecting our wildlife and habitat as a priority.
23 Oct 2025 11:40:00
I support Sussex Wildlife Trust in its efforts to get the House of Lords to back this amendment.
23 Oct 2025 11:56:00
Dreadful. happy to join any campaign/sign petitions.
23 Oct 2025 12:02:00
yes..please let us know as soon as poss what members can do to stop this wretched bill. Fingers crossed the Lords will come up with something positive
23 Oct 2025 12:36:00
Thanks for all you are doing. So hard to see the government being so blind to considerations that are so fundamental to preserving wildlife and the natural world and that are essential for the wellbeing of all life on the planet – including theirs! Hope and pray there’s a willingness to hear and makes all changes necessary to help support and sustain a healthy and vibrant environment
23 Oct 2025 13:27:00
Please support this amendment We MUST protect our Wildlife and green spaces before we lose it all -with so much planning of homes going ahead with what appears so little care for our and wildlife needs We all need green area We all need wildlife about us We need space fresh air and places for peace and tranquility in the hectic fast pace of life that we all live in
We need Nature Trees about us always and freedom from constant buildings going up and cars !
23 Oct 2025 14:01:00
i find this Bill very frightening.Once again it seems that whats left of the natural environment is to blame for a flatlining economy.It’s such an inconvenience to politicians and developers alike the sooner its all gone the better we“ll all be.Developers want these areas because their cheap near country side and they build 4/5 bed houses to sell to the already housed and the shortage of housing for the homeless continues to get worse not better and the dialogue never ends.
23 Oct 2025 14:17:00
Before all these new houses are built there MUST be a provision for the infrastructure that surrounds them. We are already lacking in that.
23 Oct 2025 15:09:00
I am so disappointed in this government’s flagrant attitude to wildlife and climate change. I hope the intervention of a group of wise peers will put the brakes on their hasty desicions.
23 Oct 2025 15:16:00
It is evident that there is world wide war on nature going on. But nature will win the end.
23 Oct 2025 16:06:00
Preserving our wildlife is in truth a out securing landscape, the air we breath and beauty. All this is gradually being stolen from us. Ask a child if they would rather see a tiny field mouse or a brick and guess the answer. This is a highly political issue. We must protect our beautiful wildlife.
23 Oct 2025 16:24:00
The planning laws favour the large construction companies and here on the Manhood Peninsula on top quality farm land and on a flood plain our community have been fighting for the environment and fragile habitats for endangered species such as water voles and the Barbastelle bat and other rare creatures that unfortunately breed on land and Rifes that developers favour. The Inspectorate has turned down recently here a Barratts appeal for over 250 homes on best quality green fields but under the current system can they appeal again and again! The biodiversity net gain rules offer very little protection for our wild life The last development here was able to tear down a proven 200 year boundary native hedge! Thank you for all you are trying to achieve
23 Oct 2025 16:45:00
Surely the lords who do not have to pander to constituents will appreciate as members of the lower house seem not to, that we depend upon the web of wildlife which we have done so much to disturb and destroy
23 Oct 2025 17:13:00
The Lords proposed amendment looks very helpful to maintain sensitivity in the planning system to our protected species and best habitats. As an observer, not practitioner, the only exception to individual site by site consideration that seems to have had some benefits in my opinion is the zoning of Great Crested Newt habitat in England which has simplified the process of planning and mitigating for that species. But lets hold firm in other cases. Good luck with the campaign.
23 Oct 2025 18:40:00
We have to develop ways of accommodating safeguarding and promoting nature whilst also co-operating in building homes and developing a worthwhile economy.
23 Oct 2025 18:47:00
We don’t need this appalling threat to wildlife. This could undermine all the good work that has gone on in the last 25 years.l
23 Oct 2025 18:50:00
I hope and pray that the Lords will uphold the amendments. The truth is we are totally dependant on the natural world but we are destroying it. It provides our food air water it is the most precious thing we have and we must do everything to defend it from further damage.
23 Oct 2025 19:03:00
Please support amendment 130 to protect our already under pressure wildlife
24 Oct 2025 02:38:00
I support Sussex Wildlife Trust in all their efforts to protect our precious wildlife.
I will support all campaigns however I feel the destruction of our natural world is unstoppable as human greed prevails.
24 Oct 2025 06:25:00
The government is full of lies and contradictions. What about climate change? The protection of the environment must be fundamental.
24 Oct 2025 06:32:00
Protecting wildlife habitats is the most important thing that we can do at this time. This part of the world is already stretched beyond breaking point as far as many species are concerned. Once built over, these places never recover, lost forever to human greed and apparent need for continual growth.
24 Oct 2025 06:56:00
I echo all comments already submitted. Standing by for action, just tell me where and when or who to write to.
24 Oct 2025 11:08:00
I’ve recently experienced the impact of building just ONE new house on a plot of land on what was previously a garden, adjacent to our property. Full of brambles, teazles, fir trees + fruit trees, it harboured bullfinches, wrens, & dunnocks, we regularly saw goldfinches, greenfinches, blue tita, great tits, coal tits, long tailed tits, siskins, goldcrests, great spotted woodpeckesr, blackbirds, the occasional mistake thrush, robins, and a variety of bats at dusk. Most of these birds visited the feeders in our garden. The bullfinches were particularly exciting, we sometimes had as many as 6 at a time, over a period of 7 years or so, on a daily basis. So much so that word for our among the birding community & we had a photographer who wanted to visit & set up a hide to capture them. We knew when we bought our house that it was intended to build next door, we were told within 7 years but we were lucky, we had 14. Before they started building, they cleared the land. As far as I’m aware, this was done BEFORE planning consent had actually been granted. The number of birds diminished rapidly. The bullfinches, goldcrests & dunnocks vanished practically overnight. Gone. Building subsequently commenced, within 18 months the house was completed. No bullfinches, no wrens, no dunnocks, no goldcrests. We were visited by an occasional greenfinch, goldfinches, blue tits, great tits, coal tits, great spotted woodpecker, blackbird, robin, still the occasional mistlethrush. The bats completely disappeared, and to never see another bullfinch was heartbreaking. In February this year we moved. If that’s what building just one house can do I dread to think of the impact of building hundreds on a large plot. And that’s not taking any account of all the other creatures that might be impacted! House building is necessary of course it is, but there are plenty of options available where environmental impact is likely to be less.
25 Oct 2025 07:10:00
This country is careering to be a place that is overdeveloped in respect of housing and infrastructure. Without protections for the environment and wildlife set in a viable legal framework, the future of our neighbourhoods will not be there. The consequences of that will be grim to say the least.
26 Oct 2025 07:28:00
Fully support your concerns.
I am lawyer in the Parliamentary field. Let me know if I can assist at all.
26 Oct 2025 15:19:00
Please do your utmost to support Amendment 130 (Planning and Infrastructure Bill) and add the mitigation strategy. Our already severely depleted natural environment needs enhanced protections. The critical, symbiotic relationship between humanity and the natural world must be respected.
27 Oct 2025 17:31:00
The UK is already wildlife depleted. It is vital to protect remaining areas; mitigation and compensation cannot restore precious habitats once lost.
05 Nov 2025 10:12:00