Member

I share the desire of the noble Lord, Lord Teverson, that local plans prepared by local planning authorities should help protect and restore land that is vital for nature recovery, while fulfilling our ambitions to deliver the homes and infrastructure that we know our country so desperately needs. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that planning policies and decisions should contribute to and enhance the natural and local environment by protecting and enhancing valued landscapes and sites of biodiversity value. The framework also sets out that local plans should identify, map and safeguard components of local wildlife-rich habitats and wider ecological networks.