House of Lords Vote Supports Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in England

The Field Studies Council has welcomed a crucial House of Lords vote on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, calling it a vital step for biodiversity, environmental education, and the future of sustainable development in England.

The charity – a specialist provider of environmental education and biodiversity training – said that protecting diverse habitats and landscapes was fundamental to both environmental health and educational opportunity and the vote delivered a clear message to Government.

Clare Rooney, biodiversity training programme manager for the Shropshire headquartered charity, said: “The amendment to the Bill supported by the Lords recognises that accelerated development must not come at the expense of our precious natural environments.

“Through our biodiversity training programmes, we are supporting thousands of learners; including professionals in planning, construction and land management; to understand how biodiversity can be effectively integrated, monitored and protected.

“This approach ensures that Biodiversity Net Gain delivers real benefits for nature, while recognising that people depend on healthy ecosystems too. Development must be holistic working with nature, not against it to create places where both people and wildlife can thrive.

“The existence of such habitats and nature rich landscapes provides irreplaceable living classrooms where future generations develop their understanding of environmental science and conservation.

“MPs must listen to the consensus from the House of Lords and do the right thing when this bill comes back to parliament and ensure the amendment is retained.

“We cannot afford to risk such widescale loss of wildlife species and habitats. We must protect them now and for future generations.”

The House of Lords met on Thursday to consider a key amendment (Amendment 30) to the Bill. The change called for protected species and habitats to be out of scope for Environmental Delivery Plans (EDP).

Without the amendment, the bill will allow developers to pay into a Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) in exchange for destroying habitats, with the promise of money from the fund being used to replace species elsewhere.

The Lords voted 260 votes in favour of the amendment and 141 against. The bill will now return to the House of Commons for MPs to vote.

The Field Studies Council has been providing environmental education for more than 80 years.

It remains committed to working with planners, developers and communities to ensure environmental education and habitat protection remain central considerations to sustainable development.