Community poll - Environmental laws under attack - how concerned are you?

My concern with this post is that by concentrating on the Habitats Directive alone it takes it out of the wider concern over this subject.  The Habitats Directive was brought in by John Major in 1994.  In 2007 it was reviewed by the last Government to see it if it had 'Gold Plated' (the words actually used) the EU Regs and therefore had over protected the environment.  That review decided that the Regulations were not 'Gold Plated'.   For 17 years the Habitat Regulations have allowed development to continue in a time of considerable growth.

Since then the current Government has produced at least 2 papers showing how important it is to link the economy and the wider environment and only the day before the budget the RSPB, other organisations and most importantly a number of major private companies produced joint research showing how important the green economy is.    The comments made by the Chancellor referred to the Gold Plated Regulations affecting the ability of businesses to move forward.  This comment is so out of kilter with what the Government has been saying until recently that is it worrying especially as the review has to report by the main budget and I can find no way that as individuals we can comment on it.  It is also worrying that having said what he did, one of his next comments was to reopen the possibility of a new airport on the area that seems to be the North Kent Marshes.

Hi Claire

You are indeed correct, DEFRA have been asked to review the English Habitats Regulations to assess whether they are 'gold plating' of the EU Habitats Directive. We are confident that the legislation will stand up to such scrutiny as it has done so before so we are not against the review as such. The review will involve relevant stakeholders, which will include us, as well as those from buisness and other NGO's.

Bob, as far as we are aware it will not be open to the public which is why we are encouraging everyone who is concerned about the implications of the governments recent comments to write to their MP's voicing your concerns and asking for the MP to pass this on to the Chancellor. We are very concerned at the messages coming from the government which fly in the face of their claims to be the 'greenest government ever'. This new threat to the legislation that protects important habitats across England is very worrying indeed.

The message from the RSPB is clear, we will fight any attempts to dilute the protection that the current habitat legislation provides.

If you have written to your MP and heard back from them, we would love to hear from you. Juno, i'm intrigued about this venomous reply you received, would you be happy to tell us more?

Hi IanH, i did send a copy to the Campaigns team when I received it, but im happy to send it again, do you have an address preference..?

Hi Juno do not think any MP allowed to send you a venomous reply,think you should make official complaint perhaps even to the party chairman.It would simply be not allowed.  

Hi Juno, if you have already sent it to the campaign team then thank you! Would you be happy to share the highlights with your fellow community members? No worries if not!

I am now very worried.  A week after this announcement about the Habitat regulations not getting in the way of the economy, 10 minutes ago on Teletext an announcement that the Govt is working with a private contractor to build the Severn Barrage?

Thanks for your confirmation, Ian.

But, as issues regarding the environment, farming and rural affairs,and planning are matters devolved to the Scottish Government I'm not sure how any amendment to the English Habitat Regulations following the Defra review would affect Scottish policy or the Scottish Regulations.

I raise this point as there are sensitive issues regarding lobbying Scottish Westminster MPs in order to question policies which have only English consequences - the West Lothian question?

The Scottish Government, as far as I am aware, has not commented on the Chancellor's Statement in regard to the review of the Habitat Regulations but interestingly on the 28th November launched a Scotland Environment Web, which really only outlines aspirational targets regarding environmental issues. However, in so far as Scotland is concerned, maybe comments could be directed there.

Of course I think any undue dilution of habitat standards anywhere in the UK is to be condemned and in that respect I intend to contact my local Westminster MP to make my views known to him. The reply might be interesting?