As part of the spring statement, chancellor Philip Hammond announced the government's plans to make it mandatory for all new housing and infrastructure developments in England to provide an increase in biodiversity, within the forthcoming Environment Bill.
This is not only fantastic news for the future of our wildlife and natural environment, but also for the livability of our urban settlements, hopefully encouraging better placemaking, the implementation of bigger and better green infrastructure and an increase in greenspace provision and active travel solutions.
This new legislation removed the barrier that was a lack of government policy and now of offers a level playing field for local authorities and developers across the country. It will drive early engagement which is essential for effective environmental planning and mitigation and to ensure appropriate and informed design.
Whilst that big barrier has been addressed, we will now see developers dealing with the challenge of a skills shortage and the available space onsite. We hope that the Building with Nature standards will provide the much needed support to developers that they need to deliver the future requirements of the country, whilst raising innovation, living standards, resident wellbeing, and of course biodiversity.