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Land Use Planning

The Land Use Planning Working Group acts to conserve the natural and historic environment by seeking improvements to the national planning system for the benefit of biodiversity, landscapes and people. The Group works to ensure that the reform of the planning regime in England helps to deliver better protection and enhancement of the natural environment as a key component of sustainable development.

Chair: Rebecca Pullinger, The Wildlife Trusts

Vice Chair: Carl Bunnage, RSPB

Link: Philip Box, Senior Policy Officer


Update from the group:

Link's Land Use Planning Group will continue to highlight how planning can make a positive contribution to nature's recovery, rather than perpetuating the sustained habitat loss seen over recent decades.

The LUPG has been advocating for robust BNG regulations and guidance ahead of mandatory implementation. The group wrote to Minister Harrison in Autumn 2023, ahead of the confirmation of the delay to mandatory BNG to January 2024. Most recently, Link published a report on local ambition and progress on delivering Biodiversity Net Gain.

Recently, the LUPG has recently published the 'Planning Ahead' report, which sets out the proposals needed to ensure the planning system delivers for nature alongside the scale and pace of renewables infrastructure needed to meet net zero.

The LUPG will aim to ensure the forthcoming planning reforms and the Planning and Infrastructure Bill do not undermine nature protections and include the policies needed to recover nature.

For further information, contact Emma Clarke, Link's Policy and Advocacy Lead.

Last updated: 31 January 2025

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