As part of the Climate Coalition’s Local Lobby Week, which takes place between 13th – 20th September, people from across Somerset and beyond have been meeting with their MPs to raise their concerns about the Government’s proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Somerset Wildlife Trust, along with other Wildlife Trusts across the UK, has been coordinating local action, organising meetings with Somerset’s MPs and encouraging communities to come together to defend nature.
People across Somerset take bold action to defend nature during Local Lobby Week
Somerset Wildlife Trust has been urging its supporters speak up, speak loudly, and speak now against the Government’s proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill
Meeting with Sarah Dyke
The Bill, which was introduced to Parliament in March 2025, aims to speed up and streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure. However, environmental organisations including Somerset Wildlife Trust have since spoken up against part 3 of the Bill, stating that it removes important laws that protect nature.
The Trust has been campaigning against the legislation since July this year. Since then, 24,700 people have signed an open letter outlining key concerns about the Bill, and over 32,000 have written to their MPs. The Government has since published a series of amendments to the Bill, which Somerset Wildlife Trust says demonstrates how public pressure can have an impact. However, the Trust also warns that the amendments do not go far enough, stating that the legislation will make it much easier for developers to destroy species and damage natural habitats. It has raised three key concerns:
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Loss of the mitigation hierarchy – currently, developers must first avoid harm to habitats and species, then minimise any damage, and only as a last resort compensate for loss. Part 3 removes this hierarchy, allowing developers to skip straight to compensation.
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Inadequate funding – Only £500 million has been pledged to oversee the new system, with no guarantee this is additional to existing budgets for Natural England and Defra.
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A step backwards – Even the Government’s own environmental watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), has said the Bill will leave nature less protected than it is now.
Adam Murray, Director of Action for Nature at Somerset Wildlife Trust, explains:
“Part 3 of the Bill undermines the environmental protections that have been hard won over decades, and in the time of a biodiversity crisis, these protections are critical. The Government’s amendments to the Bill are not enough. The Bill still leaves nature less protected than it is now, at a time when we need to be doing everything we can to restore it. Many of our supporters are already behind us, and seeing so many people come together during Local Lobby Week has been absolutely inspiring, but we still need more people to take action. Together, we can make sure our MPs know that part 3 of the Bill is not in the public interest, and that people want a future where nature and new infrastructure can coexist.”
Somerset Wildlife Trust has been campaigning alongside other Wildlife Trusts across the UK, including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust and Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. The three organisations are delighted by the level of local action taken during Local Lobby Week, as well as the overwhelming number of people who reached out to their MPs online, but they’re urging people to continue to speak up.
Matthew Stanton, Director of External Affairs and Lanscape Recovery at Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, says:
“The Government is demonising bats, newts and spiders to justify its assault on our nature protections that will also harm other precious species such as dormice, otters and badgers. They value bricks over beavers and tarmac over trees. Any claim that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill represents a win-win for nature and development is a nonsense whilst the proposed legislation removes the need for developers to prioritise avoiding harm to nature. The Government needs to understand that sustainable growth needs a prospering environment.”
More information about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, and all of Somerset Wildlife Trust’s campaign resources, can be found below.
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Press Office
Press Office:
Kirby Everett | kirby.everett@somersetwildlife.org | 07789 933287
Annabelle Stidwell | annabelle.stidwell@somersetwildlife.org | 07548 764279
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Somerset Wildlife Trust, 34 Wellington Rd, Taunton TA1 5AW
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About Somerset Wildlife Trust:
Somerset Wildlife Trust is a nature conservation charity. Its purpose is to restore and protect the populations of species across the county and the habitats they call home. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to nature, natural habitats and the ecosystems that support our life on earth. Our aims are to help address both the ecological and climate crises and put nature back into people’s lives.
Nature reserves and protected sites on their own are not enough. In order to reverse the decline in species diversity and abundance, and create resilient landscapes and habitats for wildlife and for people that can adapt to climate change, we need to:
- Encourage and support landowners to manage their land positively for nature; create more space for nature.
- Connect wildlife-rich spaces across the wider landscape to create a robust Nature Recovery Network for Somerset.
- Create a movement of people – at least 1 in 4 – that take action for nature’s recovery across Somerset as part of Team Wilder.
This is at the core of our new 10-year strategy. Nationally the Wildlife Trusts are calling for at least 30% of land to be managed positively for nature by 2030. What we do in Somerset must contribute to that national ambition. You can read our full 10-year strategy, Wilder Somerset here.