Britain’s environmental regulator will be given powers to seize farmland, allotments and other green spaces for nature restoration projects, as part of wide-ranging changes to planning laws. In a bid to offset damage caused by new buildings, Natural England will be given powers to compulsorily purchase land elsewhere in the country to rewild or turn into nature reserves. In this proposed key reform, projects will be funded by fees paid by developers, allowing building projects to overcome environmental objections by funding nature projects elsewhere.
The move is designed to avoid delays and expensive mitigation projects required to protect rare species. However critics warn the plan does not go far enough to prevent a repeat of the £100 Million HS2 bat tunnel, as European rules protecting certain habitats and wildlife will still apply.
