The nature of development has been in the news recently. The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Autumn Statement sent shudders through the conservation and environment movement as he framed the regulations that have been effectively protecting the UK’s best wildlife sites as a brake on economic development.
Here at the RSPB we have a lot of experience of working constructively with planners and developers. Most of the cases we work on see development proceed ... often with significant modifications to ensure that there is no net loss of nature – and sometimes net gain.
Winners all round.
Occasionally we take the view that a particular development is the wrong option and we fight it vigorously – we contend that stopping badly thought out development with unacceptable levels of damage should be an essential role of effective regulation. Some of these have featured in these posts – a rather obvious example is the proposal to extend and develop Lydd Airport.
But these cases are rare – though they take up a lot of our time and energy.
If ever there was a time to highlight – and celebrate – those developers that recognise that there is a better way to treat the natural world, its now.
So we welcome the news that Associated British Ports and Siemens plc have submitted a joint application for the development of the Green Port Hull facility - the link provides you with an opportunity to support the proposal.
This development would generate jobs in the green economy through the manufacture and construction of offshore wind turbines, essential to help us mitigate the effects of climate change.
We believe that the proposals, submitted to Hull City Council offer a prime example of how responsible developers can promote economic growth without destroying the environment.
The timing of this application is fortunate because it busts of one the fundamental myths enshrined in the Autumn Statement – that regulation is an unnecessary constraint on economic development.
In our press release issued to coincide with the planning application, Amanda Miller, our Conservation Manager for Northern England, said: “ABP and Siemens have shown that sustainable development is possible by ensuring that they have fully addressed the environmental impacts of their proposals through engagement with us and other environmental stakeholders and through proper application of the Habitat Regulations, which protect our most important wildlife sites.”
“In his Autumn Statement, George Osborne attacked these important environmental regulations, decrying them as a ‘ridiculous cost on British business’. The Green Port Hull proposal makes a mockery of his assertions, demonstrating clearly that responsible developers, working with environmental organisations, can ensure that they minimise and offset damage to internationally important wildlife sites.
“ABP and Siemens are to be congratulated on bringing forward a scheme, which minimises the loss of habitat through resourceful use of brownfield sites, and for providing compensatory measures for those effects which cannot be avoided.
“It is now for Hull City Council and other decision makers to decide if these proposals should be allowed to go ahead. However , by focussing on achieving the best possible outcome for industry and environment, ABP and Siemens have ploughed a streamlined path through the environmental legislation, and given the best chance of success for both their development and the environment.”
In future posts I want to explore this topic further – I’d love to hear your views.
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