Wildlife Trust thinks Bill needs amending to be transformational

The Environment Bill the Prime Minister regards as the “huge star of our legislative programme’’ returned to parliament on Thursday, but The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust believes the Bill needs more than warm words are needed to produce the changes needed for a wilder future in Hampshire and the Wight.

Debbie Tann – Chief Executive of the Hampshire & Isle Of Wight Wildlife Trust said: ‘The Environment Bill is an absolutely crucial piece of legislation that could have the potential to put our local natural environment into recovery after decades of decline. It is fantastic to hear the government committing to linking up our fragmented and isolated landscapes into a ‘Nature recovery Network’, but the current proposals aren’t strong enough to guarantee real change.

“We need to see more ambitious and clear targets for nature combined with local nature recovery strategies with real power to influence local decision making over planning and council spending. We need the Bill to have more teeth to help restore our local natural heritage.’