17 August 2026
Today the Government has unveiled its new National Planning Policy Framework, setting the direction for planning and development across England.
This was an opportunity to show that building the homes and infrastructure the country needs can go hand in hand with restoring nature, protecting the green spaces communities value, and meeting the Government’s legally binding environmental targets. While the new framework contains some welcome measures for nature and some small improvements from the first draft, it falls short of real ambition and risks weakening important environmental safeguards in the pursuit of short-term growth.
Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL) is England’s largest environment and wildlife coalition, bringing together more than 90 organisations to protect and restore nature. Earlier this year, the coalition submitted a detailed response to the Government’s NPPF consultation, calling for a planning system that delivers housing and infrastructure alongside nature recovery, rather than putting the two into conflict. You can read the full response here, as well as find a brief analysis of how the NPPF shapes up to it below.
Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife and Countryside Link, says:
“Good growth in every postcode needs to leave nature richer, communities stronger, and people better connected to the green spaces on their doorstep. This National Planning Policy Framework is a missed opportunity, restricting local ambition for nature, and extending the false promise of a "presumption in favour of sustainable development", which has nothing to offer on sustainability. At a time when the impacts of climate and nature loss are apparent in flood and fire, the Government should be strengthening protection for nature and allocating more space for the Critical Natural Infrastructure that will deliver true sustainability.”
Please find a brief analysis of WCL’s asks vs the NPPF outcome here:
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