The Wildlife Trusts welcome planning announcement, and hope it will bring local voice back into planning process

The Wildlife Trusts have welcomed the announcement from Decentralisation Minister, Greg Clark MP, that the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) has been disbanded.  It was a body made up of unelected people who could fast-track major projects such as ports and power stations and had no ecological expertise.

Paul Wilkinson, head of A Living Landscape for The Wildlife Trusts, said: “Local Wildlife Trusts all around the country scrutinise and monitor planning applications – around 90,000 each year.  Our local expertise and knowledge is second to none.  It often adds value to the planning system on major infrastructure and other projects.

“The IPC had the power to fast-track major developments without taking our voice into account. It is crucial that the new system brings the natural environment back into the core of the planning process. It should allow time for appropriate consideration to be given to applications, and the opportunity for local organisations, such as Wildlife Trusts, and local people, to feed in to the process. Only if this happens can we restore our precious habitats, and achieve our vision of A Living Landscape.”

Further information:

• Tanya Perdikou, media & campaigns officer, 07887 754657, tperdikou@wildlifetrusts.org
• Anna Guthrie, media & PR manager, 07887 754659, aguthrie@wildlifetrusts.org