Solving the puzzle of land use - Environmental organisations welcome the new Land Use Framework consultation

31 January 2025

Wildlife and Countryside Link today welcomed the Government’s announcement of an upcoming consultation on a Land Use Framework for England. The Government’s commitment to publishing the framework aims to support the delivery of the UK’s environmental targets and ensure that the future planning system is "Wilder By Design

Until now, England has lacked a comprehensive land use strategy or a mechanism to track how land use policies deliver for nature and climate or to guide greener land use choices. This gap has left national and local decision-makers without a clear picture of how their policies, schemes, and projects fit together.

If done well, the new Land Use Framework has the potential to transform how land is managed in England. The coalition argues that the framework should bring together the patchwork of land users and land use types across the country, ensuring key policies—such as those for nature restoration, climate mitigation and adaptation, water management, food and farming, and planning—work collectively at both local and national levels to support the Government’s 2030 targets on nature recovery. 

Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said, “Land in England is precious. We know that the way we use our little island must change to meet the challenges of the nature and climate crisis. For too long, competing land uses have been left to solve the jigsaw puzzle of England, without a picture on the front of the box to guide them. Ministers have an opportunity to ensure that the right players have all the pieces they need to make more space for nature, alongside sustainable food production and green infrastructure.

“The Land Use Framework can help ensure all new development is wilder by design, expanding space for our wildlife to recover, and building nature into the heart of development. The test will be whether the final framework can actually influence the thousands of daily decisions that matter for nature, from big strategic development plans and Local Plans, right down to individual choices from chicken sheds to targeted incentives for nature-friendly farming.”  

The coalition is calling for the final Framework to include provisions which: 

• Define key national environmental goals, a vision for long-term land use, and required changes to achieve them, considering nature recovery, climate, farming, water, recreation, development, and infrastructure.
• Develop, implement, and regularly review progress through a cross-government body to align land use with national objectives.
• Have a role in shaping national policies like the Environmental Land Management Scheme and guiding local decisions, including Local Nature Recovery Strategies.