Even though the UK is a standard bearer for environmental protections on the global stage I am acutely aware we cannot afford to be complacent here at home.
The new Environmental Improvement Plan sets out work over a five year period to not only restore nature but improve the quality of our air, waters and land. This will help secure a cleaner and greener country for our children and grandchildren.
The last decade has seen the creation or restoration of wildlife habitats greater than the size of West Sussex, and establishing of Marine Protected Areas across 35,000 square miles of English waters. In recent weeks I have been pursuing the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs on the issue of introducing five no-take Highly Protected Marine Areas.
The Environmental Improvement Plan commits to creating or restoring at least one and a quarter million acres of new wildlife habitats. This will start with 70 new wildlife projects including 25 new or expanded National Nature Reserves and 19 further Nature Recovery Projects.
It will also deliver a clean and plentiful supply of water for people and nature into the future. This will include tackling leaks, publishing a roadmap to boost household water efficiency, and enabling greater sources of supply.
It is over the last decade we have seen action taken to address sewage overflows. The Sewage Overflow Reduction Plan, totalling £56 billion of investment, sets out the largest ever infrastructure programme in water company history. Since 2015, the Environment Agency have concluded 56 prosecutions against water and sewerage companies securing fines of over £141 million. I am calling for a new fund to be established that could support local initiatives to tackle pollution.
Also included in the Environmental Improvement Plan is a challenge to local councils to improve air quality more quickly – something which Crawley Borough Council must do much better on.
The plan also commits to ensure access to green space or water within a 15 minute walk of every home.
Over recent months I have continued to reiterate the opposition of not only myself but many local residents to the holiday site proposals put forward by Center Parcs at Oldhouse Warren, Worth. I discussed this with the Woodland Trust in Parliament last week and in November I was pleased to meet the Sussex Wildlife Trust on the site itself.
As I write this column I have received confirmation that Center Parcs will no longer be taking forward their plans to develop this ancient woodland habitat – welcome news for a beautiful part of the Sussex countryside!
Henry Smith MP
