This week at the governing party’s conference, new housing secretary Steve Reed pledged to ‘tear down all the barriers to development’ whilst sporting a ‘Build Baby Build’ hat. 

Government announcements are full of promises to boost economic growth, often with little thought for the wider costs or consequences. This comes after months of hearing Chancellor Rachel Reeves accusing snails, bats and newts of being ‘blockers’ to development. Are the barriers the government wants to tear down the laws that protect wildlife? These laws are not unnecessary red tape, they are vital. At Cornwall Wildlife Trust we want to focus on creating a Cornwall where nature thrives, not fighting against a dangerous roll-back of established protections. 

The False Enemy 

No one disputes the need for more affordable, good-quality homes, but the Government’s scapegoating of wildlife misrepresents the real reasons why housing supply in Cornwall and beyond is failing and risks catastrophic damage to the natural systems that underpin our lives. 

When we asked developers in Cornwall what the real issues they face are, they told us: 

• Shortages of skilled labour in the construction sector.
• Soaring material costs, made worse by Brexit and global supply chain pressures.
• Landowners having unrealistically high land value expectations
• Increasing difficulty in securing finance for construction  

These are the systemic issues government must confront if it is serious about housing delivery. It is these that need to be tackled by the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, not fictional wildlife ‘blockers’.  Blaming environmental protections is a convenient distraction – a smokescreen to avoid tackling structural failings. 

Developers we spoke to viewed nature as just one of many aspects of construction projects that they routinely address. Sound site selection, good project planning and early engagement of Ecologists were all discussed as being important to minimise any issues in connection to species or habitats. 

Deregulation- here we go again 

Environmental laws are not about red tape, but about preventing wildlife from being driven towards extinction, and ensuring communities continue to benefit from all that nature provides - from health and wellbeing to natural protection against the floods and heatwaves already intensified by climate breakdown. 

The Times has reported that the new Defra Secretary of State, Emma Reynolds, has been asked by the Chancellor to ‘cut back on red tape’ and rein in regulators in her department. While there is always room to improve regulations and how they are applied, history shows that stripping them back can backfire badly. In 2014, Defra cut £80 million from the Environment Agency budget, money earmarked for sewage pollution regulation and monitoring. Those short-term cuts helped create the sewage crisis we face today, proof that regulations (and the budgets to enforce them) exist for very sound reasons. 

Our Message to Government 

Affordable homes and a thriving natural world are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they depend on each other. Healthy rivers, clean air, fertile soils, and resilient ecosystems are what allow people and economies to flourish. 

Our message is simple: stop blaming nature for systemic failings and stop attacking the environmental bodies that protect us all. Address the real problems holding back housing. Work with, not against, nature, and recognise that dismantling protections for short-term headlines will only lead to long-term disaster. 

And now – Your Message to Government 

Government needs to hear loud and clear that we care about nature, and that we expect them to do everything possible to keep it safe and healthy. Add your voice today: send a postcard to your MP and help us #DefendNature. It’s quick, easy, and it makes a real difference. Just follow the link to get started. 

Send a postcard to your MP