Latest news with #WildJustice
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nature group threatens judicial review against Labour's planning bill
A legal campaign group is planning a judicial review against the UK government's new planning bill, arguing it will result in a weakening of environmental protections which were fought for and created over decades. Wild Justice is calling on the housing minister, Angela Rayner, to correct a parliamentary statement in which she told MPs the bill, which applies mainly to England and Wales, would not reduce the level of protection. Her words were echoed in a letter to the Guardian from the nature minister, Mary Creagh, who stated it did not repeal habitat or species protections or give a licence to do harm. The group sent Rayner a pre-action protocol letter on Monday calling on her to 'correct the parliamentary record' to make clear that her statement about environmental protection in the bill was not correct. If this does not take place, they will apply for a judicial review. Wild Justice has produced a legal opinion stating the bill would weaken existing environmental protections, with a key factor the removal of the requirement to be sure beyond reasonable scientific doubt that a development would not have a negative impact on a protected site. Instead developers will be allowed to pay into a nature restoration levy scheme in an attempt to mitigate any environmental harm elsewhere. There is no guarantee any environmental improvements would be in the same locality or even in the same county. Campaigners have argued it is impossible to replace an ancient woodland or a chalk stream elsewhere. Related: Planning bill would allow builders to 'pay cash to trash' nature, say UK experts The Office of Environmental Protection, the government's post-Brexit watchdog, also warns the draft of the legislation would remove safeguards for nature and put protected sites at risk. Chris Packham, co-director of Wild Justice, said: 'Good people fought long and hard to put proper wildlife protection into law. And it helped, but hasn't stopped the relentless decline of the UK's biodiversity. And now, in a time of absolute crisis, we need to save every last tree, bird, butterfly or bug. 'So how do the government think it's going to if they smash those laws up? … I really hope they rein it in and bow to the love, passion and determination of a nation of animal lovers.' Ministers argue the new bill will speed up housing developments and large infrastructure projects by allowing developers to avoid the long delays in meeting environmental obligations at the site of their project, by paying into the fund (NRF) which will be used to create environmental improvement elsewhere. But last week the government's own impact assessment revealed officials have very little evidence that nature obligations are a block to development. The bill is being debated in committee in parliament on Monday, where several amendments have been suggested. Dr Ruth Tingay, co-director of Wild Justice, said: 'It's important that the secretary of state corrects her statement on the environmental ramifications of this bill because to continue to portray it as a 'win-win' for nature and people is inaccurate and will mislead MPs into voting for something that is likely to have catastrophic consequences for protected species and habitats.' Ricardo Gama, of Leigh Day solicitors, who are representing Wild Justice, said the government had told MPs to decide whether the 'growth at all costs' agenda was worth trashing hard-fought environmental protections. 'They they can only do that if they clearly understand what the bill entails,' he said. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: 'Our planning and infrastructure bill will deliver a win-win for the economy and nature. We are introducing the nature restoration fund to unblock the delivery of much-needed homes and infrastructure, funding large scale environmental improvements across whole communities, and introducing robust protections that will create only positive outcomes for the environment.'
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Chris Packham's charity to sue Angela Rayner over planning blitz
The charity co-founded by naturalist and BBC presenter Chris Packham has threatened legal action against Angela Rayner after she claimed her planning reforms would not water down environmental protections. Wild Justice, the conservationist charity, has demanded that Ms Rayner, the Housing Secretary, correct a statement made to MPs in March when she described the new planning and infrastructure Bill as a 'win-win for development and for nature'. Ms Rayner told the Commons that the Bill, which applies to projects in England and Wales, would not reduce the existing protections safeguarding the environment from construction projects. However, the charity has issued a 'pre-action protocol' to Ms Rayner urging her to 'correct the parliamentary record', claiming that her statement was inaccurate, and that it will apply for a judicial review if she does not. Ruth Tingay, a co-director of Wild Justice, said: 'It's important that the secretary of state corrects her statement on the environmental ramifications of this Bill because to continue to portray it as a 'win win' for nature and people is inaccurate and will mislead MPs into voting for something that is likely to have catastrophic consequences for protected species and habitats.' As part of the planning shake-up, developers will be able to proceed without having to prove that there will be no negative environmental impact on the site. Instead, they will be required to pay into a fund intended to offset potential damage elsewhere. Wild Justice commissioned planning lawyers to draw up a legal opinion, which states the Bill will weaken existing levels of environment protection. Mr Packham told The Guardian, which first reported the news: 'Good people fought long and hard to put proper wildlife protection into law. And it helped, but hasn't stopped the relentless decline of the UK's biodiversity. And now, in a time of absolute crisis, we need to save every last tree, bird, butterfly or bug.' 'So how do the Government think it's going to if they smash those laws up? I really hope they rein it in and bow to the love, passion and determination of a nation of animal lovers.' Earlier this month, the Office of Environmental Protection (OEP), the watchdog for environmental protection, warned that the changes would be a 'regression' of existing measures. Dame Glenys Stacey, the OEP chairman, said the Bill 'would have the effect of reducing the level of environmental protection provided for by existing environmental law'. A spokesman for Ms Rayner's Housing Department said: 'We are introducing the Nature Restoration Fund to unblock the delivery of much-needed homes and infrastructure, funding large-scale environmental improvements across whole communities and introducing robust protections that will create only positive outcomes for the environment.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Chris Packham's charity to sue Angela Rayner over planning blitz
The charity co-founded by naturalist and BBC presenter Chris Packham has threatened legal action against Angela Rayner after she claimed her planning reforms would not water down environmental protections. Wild Justice, the conservationist charity, has demanded that Ms Rayner, the Housing Secretary, correct a statement made to MPs in March when she described the new planning and infrastructure Bill as a 'win-win for development and for nature'. Ms Rayner told the Commons that the Bill, which applies to projects in England and Wales, would not reduce the existing protections safeguarding the environment from construction projects. However, the charity has issued a 'pre-action protocol' to Ms Rayner urging her to 'correct the parliamentary record', claiming that her statement was inaccurate, and that it will apply for a judicial review if she does not. Ruth Tingay, a co-director of Wild Justice, said: 'It's important that the secretary of state corrects her statement on the environmental ramifications of this Bill because to continue to portray it as a 'win win' for nature and people is inaccurate and will mislead MPs into voting for something that is likely to have catastrophic consequences for protected species and habitats.' As part of the planning shake-up, developers will be able to proceed without having to prove that there will be no negative environmental impact on the site. Instead, they will be required to pay into a fund intended to offset potential damage elsewhere. Wild Justice commissioned planning lawyers to draw up a legal opinion, which states the Bill will weaken existing levels of environment protection. Mr Packham told The Guardian, which first reported the news: 'Good people fought long and hard to put proper wildlife protection into law. And it helped, but hasn't stopped the relentless decline of the UK's biodiversity. And now, in a time of absolute crisis, we need to save every last tree, bird, butterfly or bug.' 'So how do the Government think it's going to if they smash those laws up? I really hope they rein it in and bow to the love, passion and determination of a nation of animal lovers.' Earlier this month, the Office of Environmental Protection (OEP), the watchdog for environmental protection, warned that the changes would be a 'regression' of existing measures. Dame Glenys Stacey, the OEP chairman, said the Bill 'would have the effect of reducing the level of environmental protection provided for by existing environmental law'. A spokesman for Ms Rayner's Housing Department said: 'We are introducing the Nature Restoration Fund to unblock the delivery of much-needed homes and infrastructure, funding large-scale environmental improvements across whole communities and introducing robust protections that will create only positive outcomes for the environment.'
The Guardian
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Nature group threatens judicial review against Labour's planning bill
A legal campaign group is planning a judicial review against the UK government's new planning bill, arguing it will result in a weakening of environmental protections which were fought for and created over decades. Wild Justice is calling on the housing minister, Angela Rayner, to correct a parliamentary statement in which she told MPs the bill, which applies mainly to England and Wales, would not reduce the level of protection. Her words were echoed in a letter to the Guardian from the nature minister, Mary Creagh, who stated it did not repeal habitat or species protections or give a licence to do harm. The group sent Rayner a pre-action protocol letter on Monday calling on her to 'correct the parliamentary record' to make clear that her statement about environmental protection in the bill was not correct. If this does not take place, they will take a judicial review. Wild Justice has produced a legal opinion stating the bill would weaken existing environmental protections, with a key factor the removal of the requirement to be sure beyond reasonable scientific doubt that a development would not have a negative impact on a protected site. Instead developers will be allowed to pay into a nature restoration levy scheme in an attempt to mitigate any environmental harm elsewhere. There is no guarantee any environmental improvements would be in the same locality or even in the same county. Campaigners have argued it is impossible to replace an ancient woodland or a chalk stream elsewhere. The Office of Environmental Protection, the government's post-Brexit watchdog, also warns the draft of the legislation would remove safeguards for nature and put protected sites at risk. Chris Packham, co-director of Wild Justice, said: 'Good people fought long and hard to put proper wildlife protection into law. And it helped, but hasn't stopped the relentless decline of the UK's biodiversity. And now, in a time of absolute crisis, we need to save every last tree, bird, butterfly or bug. 'So how do the government think it's going to if they smash those laws up? … I really hope they rein it in and bow to the love, passion and determination of a nation of animal lovers.' Ministers argue the new bill will speed up housing developments and large infrastructure projects by allowing developers to avoid the long delays in meeting environmental obligations at the site of their project, by paying into the fund (NRF) which will be used to create environmental improvement elsewhere. But last week the government's own impact assessment revealed officials have very little evidence that nature obligations are a block to development. The bill is being debated in committee in parliament on Monday, where several amendments have been suggested. Sign up to Down to Earth The planet's most important stories. Get all the week's environment news - the good, the bad and the essential after newsletter promotion Dr Ruth Tingay, co-director of Wild Justice, said: 'It's important that the secretary of state corrects her statement on the environmental ramifications of this bill because to continue to portray it as a 'win-win' for nature and people is inaccurate and will mislead MPs into voting for something that is likely to have catastrophic consequences for protected species and habitats.' Ricardo Gama of Leigh Day solicitors, who are representing Wild Justice, said the government had told MPs to decide whether the 'growth at all costs' agenda was worth trashing hard-fought environmental protections. 'They they can only do that if they clearly understand what the bill entails,' he said. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has been approached for comment.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
New report exposes major problem with UK government's restrictions: 'Should be ringing alarm bells'
In recent years, the United Kingdom has relaxed restrictions on rat poisons (rodenticides) available for purchase. But rodenticides don't just affect rats; they also kill or endanger birds of prey. A recent report from Wild Justice shows that the new laws governing rodenticide use have had a notable negative effect on raptors in the region, Raptor Persecution UK reported. Raptor Persecution UK is a conservation blog written by Ruth Tingay, a former president of the international Raptor Research Foundation with over 30 years of experience in raptor research and conservation. Tingay explained that rats typically live for a few days after exposure to rodenticides, long enough for birds of prey to catch and eat them. The birds are then also exposed to the poison, often fatally. According to the report Tingay cited, the frequency of raptors exposed and the levels of rodenticide found have both increased since the laws changed in 2015. Before that, the rodenticides in question were only allowed to be used indoors, and they were marketed to pest control professionals. But thanks to revisions to the law in 2015, the substances have been approved for use in and around buildings, and they have been offered to farmers and groundskeepers. "Using data obtained through Freedom of Information Requests, Wild Justice's 'Collateral Damage' report presents the results of Government laboratory tests for 366 Buzzards and 173 Red Kites that had been submitted to the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS) in England during the period 2005 to 2022," Tingay explained. "The report shows that in recent years nearly all these raptors had tested positive for rat poison, often in high amounts." Specifically, buzzards turned up with rodenticides in their systems less than 50% of the time prior to the change. Between 2020 and 2022, 90% of buzzards carried the poison. In the past, less than 2% contained a high dose, defined as 0.3mg/kg of poison. Now, over 25% contain that dose. For red kites, the number of poisoned birds jumped from 90% to 100%, and those carrying high doses went from 15% to 66%. Should the government be able to control how we heat our homes? Definitely Only if it saves money I'm not sure No way Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Predators such as raptors play a key role in the environment, controlling populations of rodents and other small animals. Like removing the wolves from Yellowstone, a decline in raptor populations could have devastating effects. Also, the more widespread use of rodenticides means more chances for human exposure, both environmentally and through the food chain. These chemicals are dangerous, which is why they're regulated to begin with. A spokesperson for Wild Justice said that the presence of these poisons in birds of prey "should be ringing alarm bells." Tingay and Wild Justice are doing what they can to increase awareness of the issue, hopefully leading to updates in the law. You can help prevent similar situations by voting for pro-climate candidates who will regulate environmentally damaging substances. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
