Dr. Karl Evans from the School of Biosciences, alongside Professor Malcolm Tait, Dr. Kiera Chapman, and Dr. Andy Inch from the School of Geography and Planning, and Tom Wild from the School of Architecture and Landscape, has been awarded £780,000 from the Economic and Social Research Council for a pioneering interdisciplinary project titled "Biodiversity in Planning, Policy, and Practise." This project will provide the first comprehensive analysis of Nature Recovery Planning within the broader context of spatial planning systems.
In the face of a global nature crisis driven largely by urbanisation, the UK is grappling with significant habitat and biodiversity loss. As one of the most nature-depleted countries in Europe, the UK government has introduced new policies aimed at reversing this trend through a process known as ‘Nature Recovery Planning.’ This innovative approach employs market-oriented strategies to evaluate and mitigate habitat loss, but its effectiveness remains largely uncharted.
Whilst the Government has just introduced a new system of Biodiversity Net Gain to mitigate the impacts of new development, we know little about how it will work in practice or how it integrates with other elements of our planning system. This project will be the first major approach to understanding how biodiversity is currently integrated into decisions about development, and will explore means by which planning for nature recovery might be better achieved
Professor Malcolm Tait
School of Geography and Planning
Nature recovery planning under the spotlight
This spring, the English government rolled out the Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) policy, which mandates that developers assess and compensate for the environmental impact of their projects. Developers must now either set aside land for nature recovery on-site or purchase biodiversity credits to offset their impact. Meanwhile, in Scotland, planning policies highlight the economic value of nature through the concept of ‘natural capital,’ although BNG is not yet a compulsory measure.
Despite these advancements, there is a significant gap in data concerning the extent of habitat and biodiversity loss under both the old and new policy frameworks. This gap makes it challenging to measure the effectiveness of these policies. There is also uncertainty about how ecological concerns are weighed against other social, spatial, economic, and environmental objectives within planning systems. Furthermore, the integration and impact of different mapping processes used for nature recovery and spatial planning are still unclear. The introduction of new ecological assessments also raises important questions about whose perspectives on nature are valued and the broader democratic and social justice implications.
The team, collaborating with government policymakers, planning and ecology practitioners, conservation NGOs, and community groups, aims to:
- Quantify Habitat Loss: Assess the impact of planning decisions on habitat and biodiversity, comparing new policies with previous frameworks.
- Analyse Ecological Prioritisation: Investigate how ecological factors are balanced against other objectives in planning processes.
- Study Mapping Integration: Examine how different mapping methods for nature recovery and spatial planning interact and affect land use.
- Evaluate Ecological Knowledge: Explore how new policies are altering the types of ecological expertise valued in planning and their implications for social justice.
- Formulate Recommendations: Provide recommendations to improve planning policies and practices in addressing habitat and biodiversity loss.
This interdisciplinary project aims to provide valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and practitioners, supported by major national organisations and a Knowledge Exchange Associate to ensure that findings inform effective policy and practice.
“Tackling the housing shortage is an urgent problem. This interdisciplinary and collaborative project will inform planning policy to limit house building impacts on biodiversity and the benefits that nature provides to people.”
Dr Karl Evans
Senior Lecturer in Conservation Biology