The Wildlife Trusts have warned that the decision in Chancellor John Healey's Budget to remove Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements from developments on brownfield sites risks cutting nature out of the urban communities that need it most.
Introduced in 2024, BNG requires developers to avoid harming important wildlife habitats, make up for unavoidable losses and go further by creating new habitats. The Wildlife Trusts say the policy can support nature recovery when done well, but that the Budget announcement further strips the ambition from it.
Higgins: 'Access to nature should not be a luxury'
Dom Higgins, head of health and education at The Wildlife Trusts, said: "Exempting brownfield developments from Biodiversity Net Gain reduces access to nature in the communities that need it the most and will remove one of the biggest opportunities to bring trees, ponds, wildlife and parks back into towns and cities."
He added: "Access to nature should not be a luxury. We know that designing housing and infrastructure with trees, parks and space for nature is proven to improve mental and physical health and boost people's pride in their communities."
The charity said urban habitats also provide shade and cooling during heatwaves and help reduce the risk of flooding, protecting communities from the effects of climate change.
'More space to breathe'
Higgins said: "For a Budget that promised 'breathing space', this decision risks undermining the very thing that could give millions of people living in urban areas more space to breathe."
