Yet, the basis of Barker’s final report is about reforming the planning system so that it can secure economic prosperity first and foremost, as well as, addressing costs to developers and businesses as a result of a perceived slowness and unpredictability in the current system. We have yet to see clear quantified evidence that this is having a negative impact on the economy.

One of Kate Barker’s main recommendations is to set up an unelected, and therefore unaccountable, Planning Commission which would decide major planning applications, including possibly new housing developments, without the say of local communities.

The Wildlife Trusts are gravely concerned about the current thrust and direction of government thinking on development and planning in England, which pays scant regard to the conservation of the natural environment and the enormous value that it provides to our economy. The week before the Barker report was published we saw the publication of the Government’s final Planning Policy Statement on housing (PPS 3) which contains an eroded policy on greening development from the earlier draft, and no mention of nature conservation as a concession to the reuse of previously developed land.

The Wildlife Trusts’ Land Use Planning Manager, Fiona Mahon, says:

‘We appear to be moving rapidly away from public involvement in local and regional planning decisions to fast tracking major new developments, including waste facilities, transport and nuclear installations, in the name of efficiency and global competitiveness. The result will surely be a weaker and less democratic planning system that does not allow time for careful consideration of the environmental impacts of major planning applications. This is bad for society, for wildlife and for the future of our economy in a world facing huge environmental changes as a result of climate change’.

A further irony of the Barker Report is that it stresses the need to rationalise the amount of national planning guidance to local planning authorities, but at the same time advocates a review of national planning policy on economic development.

The Wildlife Trusts will be conducting further work to ascertain the full impacts of Barker’s proposals for biodiversity conservation in England.

However, the greatest Barker irony of all is that the Report opens the door to a presumption in favour of climate changing major development, such as, transport and waste at a time when Government is producing its draft planning policy statement on climate change aimed at curbing carbon emissions.

The Wildlife Trusts eagerly await the publication of the draft Planning Policy Statement (PPS) on climate change, expected later this week, alongside the final Code for Sustainable Homes.

If the planning system is to play a pivotal role in addressing the root causes of climate change, it is vital that the draft PPS includes strong adaptation policies for both people and wildlife, as well as, measures to reduce our carbon output through truly sustainable and low energy forms of development and land use in the future.

The Wildlife Trusts will be calling on the Government to introduce mandatory assessment for new and existing homes on measures to combat climate change, including tough water and energy efficiency targets through the Code for Sustainable Homes. We will also be lobbying for these targets to apply to all buildings, not just domestic properties.