I have been contacted by a number of constituents regarding the RSPB’s environmental campaign. This campaign is misconceived and downright misleading. I would be angry too if what they have asserted were correct, but it is not. The Prime Minister has repeatedly re-affirmed her commitment to achieving net-zero by 2050, a legal requirement created by this Conservative Government. Within that overarching objective the Government has also enacted the Environment Act 2021 (which contains the halt in biodiversity loss by 2030) as well as developed the innovative replacement to the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. The Rt Hon Chris Skidmore OBE MP, a fellow member of the Environmental Audit Select Committee and the minister who signed our net zero obligation into law, has been asked by the Prime Minister to review all of our policies aimed at achieving these goals in the most efficient and coherent way possible. It’s a good idea.
The replacement of the Common Agricultural Policy with the Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) is one of the early wins from our exit from the European Union. The principle of providing public money for public goods is one that I wholeheartedly support, but the Government is still feeling its way between now and 2026 on how best to implement the three schemes to make sure that they work as intended. Early take up by farmers has not been as quick as hoped for so the DEFRA is undertaking a review to see how the offer can be improved. A scheme that is not taken up is no scheme at all. Again, this is a good idea.
Finally, Investment Zone policy makes it clear that planning policy will only be streamlined in areas specially-designated for development to build homes and/or create jobs. Guidance provided by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities makes it clear that this will target requirements which “create paperwork and stall development but do not necessarily protect the environment”. Key planning policies which protect natural heritage and maintain national policy on Green Belt will continue to apply. The seeming outrage over the potential impact of Investment Zones is wholly disproportionate to their likely size and impact. For example, the only expression of interest for an Investment Zone allocation in the whole of Broadland is for the 40Ha that already make up the Food Enterprise Park near Easton.
However, instead of waiting to see the outcomes of these reviews, the RSPB and others have unilaterally decided to assume the worst and sought to whip up anger. I am sure they knew better so I am disappointed that they chose to do so anyway.
