March 2026
Where do you go to see nature? Are you lucky enough to have a nearby river that you patrol the banks of in winter? Do you help the dog up into the car in a summer evening to go for a walk through your nearby woodland? You might stroll around the edges of your local tree-lined park or if you’re lucky enough, pop down to your local wetland nature reserve?
For millions of people, this sort of regular interaction with a wildlife-rich green space is something they can only dream of - or, in fact, something that might not even cross their minds as being a possibility. In our increasingly built up and congested urban areas, access to nature isn’t equitable. While some people might have diverse urban parks with natural grasslands and ancient trees, for some people, their nearest formal green space might simply be a postage sized stamp park with nothing even resembling a natural habitat. However, hidden away within many urban areas are pockets of wildflower and insect paradises. Islands of biodiversity, forgotten by those who don’t pay attention, that have flourished on land that we haven’t had the inclination to mow, trim or manage within an inch of its life.
Often unflatteringly termed ‘brownfields’, Richard Mabey coined the term ‘Unofficial countryside’ in the 1970s for these sites which were reclaimed by nature. It demonstrated an appreciation for the ability of nature to fight back and celebrated them as a cultural treasure. Fast forward to 2026 and we see that these havens for nature have found themselves at the receiving end of unflattering planning language and policies. They are thought of as ‘underused’, land that is currently wasted until it is housing, as opposed to thriving islands of habitat. However, for many people, they might be the only places where they can really watch wildlife at close quarters or watch it act naturally and develop a real connection with nature.
Because many brownfields are left unmanaged, their grass uncut, their hedges and scrub left to their own devices and disturbed ground simply left to revegetate, they are often the last ‘wild’ spaces- our urban jungles. They are the last refuges for bees, butterflies, birds, reptiles and small mammals in an urban environment that can often be dominated by flowerless concrete. And where there is green space, it is likely mown to within an inch of its life and dotted with manicured trees or regularly replaced bedding plants- perhaps even laid with artificial plastic turf.
Against this background, the government is announcing a consultation on exempting residential developments over 2.5ha from the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements that we have been told are key to driving urgently needed nature recovery. The intention here is to make it more attractive to developers to build on these last wildlife strongholds. The result? The loss of nature in the heart of urban communities that need access to it the most. Worse still, unlike the current rules which at least attempt to ensure there is some overall biodiversity gain, whether it is local or not, this exemption would mean a local cliff edge for the species that often depend on brownfields to survive - species such as the Distinguished Jumping Spider (Attulus distinguendus), Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum) and Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros). While some brownfields are of course readily suitable for development, think vacant industrial sites or abandoned car parks, not all brownfields are equal. This step back would mean that the principle of a site being assessed for its value for wildlife is being completely abandoned, right in the communities that often value it the most.
The loss of these sites would make it even harder for urban local authorities to deliver the much vaunted Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS). Many of these include ‘urban’, ‘brownfield’ or the more technical ‘open mosaic habitat on previously developed land’ chapters in their ambitious plans. They aim to protect the habitats they have and manage them for the species that call them home. Making it easier to develop brownfields without even worrying about the wildlife being lost, would make it near impossible for many of these LNRS ambitions to become reality.
Although it wouldn’t be affected by this change, nowhere exemplifies the importance of brownfields as a source of inspiration for people and as a refuge for wildlife than the Swanscombe Peninsula in North Kent. Once ear-marked for the London Resort Theme Park, the investor’s dream of rollercoasters with views over the Thames was stymied by the designation of the peninsula as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Here you can step out of the busy, congested roads around Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet and into what feels like a genuine urban wilderness, where grasslands, wetlands and coastal habitats have been shaped by cement works, water treatment works, landfill, HS1 and all manner of other industries. Were it not for its SSSI status it may have ended up being a theme park full of screaming thrill seekers or even densely packed houses and flats. But here, for once, the importance of brownfield was recognised. Now it has been protected and visitors and local residents will continue to visit it to walk their dogs, stroll the England Coastal Path, marvel at how the Distinguished Jumping Spider become an icon of the resistance to unrestrained development or track low flying Marsh Harriers with London in the distance. This is what one large brownfield site means to a community- what about the small wildlife-filled brownfield scattered across the country, in people’s neighbourhoods?
Access to nature has increasingly been recognised as playing a vital role in tackling the mental health crisis and an opportunity to improve our wellbeing and physical health. We should be protecting the small doses of nature brownfield offer millions, and expanding access to nature further, not taking it away in poor policy decisions. Exempting residential developments on brownfields is short-sighted. It will lead to nature poor communities and with it, the opportunity for nature to be a valuable tonic for our individual and collective wellbeing.
The opinions expressed in this blog are the authors' and not necessarily those of the wider Link membership.
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