In a show of unity, a wide-ranging coalition of development businesses, NGOs, professional bodies, legal experts, and leading conservationists has come together to issue a stark warning about the Government’s proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill. The Joint Statement, Pause to Bad Law – A Call for Meaningful Consultation, calls on the Government to urgently rethink Part 3 of the Bill, which the signatories say poses a serious threat to the natural environment and the credibility of the planning system.

Convened by RSK Wilding — a leading environmental consultancy dedicated to restoring nature through innovative, science-led solutions — the joint statement underscores the breadth of concern across sectors. 

Signatories include well-known broadcaster and conservationist Chris Packham, and are joined by over 60 other respected figures such as business leaders, academics, and heads of environmental organisations. Among them are the Chartered Institute of Ecology & Environmental Management, the UK Green Building Council, Wild Justice, the Town and Country Planning Association, and former officials from Natural England and the National Trust.

At the heart of the statement is the shared recognition that the risks are so significant, no weak compromises or half measures can fix it. According to the statement, Part 3, as currently drafted, would irrevocably weaken environmental protections, create legal uncertainty, reduce investor confidence, and fail to support either sustainable growth or nature recovery — a direct contradiction of the Government’s own policy pledges.

Sir John Lawton, former Government advisor and author of ‘The Lawton Review, Making Space for Nature’ says:

“Our statutes deserve better than unevidenced and rushed laws, which sweep away our tried and tested protections for nature” Said Lawton, “Legal changes of this magnitude should at least follow due process. A hurried competition for last-minute ‘rescue’ amendments to this dangerous Bill helps no one, and will surely harm our environment, and our economy on which it depends. Normal, evidence-led, democratic due process is all we are asking for.”

The statement also draws on legal opinions from King’s Counsel and analysis by the Office for Environmental Protection, which unequivocally concluded the Bill would result in a regression of existing environmental standards. Signatories warn that centralising nature recovery funding through a single levy system could displace innovation, reduce local accountability, and result in “environmental injustice” by denying communities access to nearby green spaces.

“This is not just an environmental issue — it's a legal, economic, and democratic one too,” said Alexa Culver. “If passed unamended, this Bill risks unravelling years of progress in nature recovery and undermining the very systems that allow for robust, credible development planning.”

The coalition stresses they are not opposed to reform. They support a more efficient, effective planning system, but call for meaningful consultation and genuine collaboration — not rushed legislation based on flawed assumptions and insufficient evidence.

The joint statement closes with a joint call: “Let us not take a backward step. Let us instead pause, reflect, and together build a better bill.”

Joint Statement which now includes Beccy Speight of RSPB: www.rskwilding.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/joint-statement_-pause-to-bad-law-%E2%80%93-a-call-for-meaningful-consultation-on-the-planning-and-infrastructure-bill-1-3.pdf  

Link to Wilding: wilding@rsk.co.uk