Political opinion: Horsham MP leads call to strengthen nature recovery protections
Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham John Milne has urged the government to protect the emerging biodiversity net gain market and nature recovery in a Parliament debate on Tuesday.
John Milne, Liberal Democrat MP for Horsham, spoke in a Parliament debate on Tuesday on environmental protections and biodiversity trends, warning that proposed changes to biodiversity net gain (BNG) policy could undermine nature recovery across England.
Mr Milne highlighted that BNG is delivering results with evidence showing more than 5,160 hectares have already been restored across England thanks to mandatory BNG, generating jobs, investment and ecological recovery. However, he expressed concern about government proposals to exempt development sites under 0.2 hectares from BNG requirements, double the threshold recommended by the industry.
The debate comes at a critical time, as new biodiversity indicators show that more habitats are deteriorating than improving in England, with just 3% in favourable conservation status, down from 8% in 2018.
Commenting after the debate, John Milne MP said: “We have a nature crisis in this country, and biodiversity net gain is proving to be one of our most effective tools for addressing it. Projects like Knepp in Horsham show what can be achieved when we back rewilding and habitat restoration with stable policy and proper investment.
“I'm calling on Ministers to work with the BNG industry and maintain stronger protections. Nature recovery is essential, and these solutions should not be optional extras, but an essential part of our climate infrastructure and the foundations of the sustainable growth that our rural economies depend on.”