Lost Nature – how the report was received

We published the Lost Nature report last week, which was written by researchers at the University of Sheffield and showed that house builders fail to include nature-friendly measures into new housing developments – even those required by the planning process.

The timing of the report was partly, but not entirely, luck – it coincided with government announcements about reducing the barriers to house building, which blamed nature for being in the way! When Angela Rayner said that ‘…newts can’t be more protected than people who need housing‘ we’re not sure whether she meant homeless people or rich housing developers, but her catchy soundbite is a complete misrepresentation of reality. Lost Nature shows that when developers get permission to build, they largely flout the modest conditions attached which will replace a small amount of the nature lost.

Lost Nature was covered in:

• The Guardian – House-builders deliver only half of nature friendly features, survey finds
• Horticulture Week – Housing developers only delivering 53% of ecological enhancements, survey finds
• ENDS report (paywall) – NPPF and mitigation miseries: Updates on environmental planning policy in the last week
• PhysOrg – New housing developments failing to protect wildlife, survey reveals
• Business Mole – Nature’s Loss: builders neglect to provide necessary wildlife protection
• Sheffield Star – New housing developments failing to protect wildlife according to University of Sheffield research
• Yorkshire Post – New housing developments failing to protect wildlife according to University of Sheffield research
• Sheffield University – New housing developments failing to protect wildlife
• Leverhulme Centre for Nature Recovery – Lost Nature