This week, to mark the 75th Anniversary of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, Government announced new legislation to ensure Protected Landscapes are fit for the future. The historic 1949 Act built the foundations for modern nature conservation, enshrining in law protections for our wild spaces. It paved the way for the network of National Landscapes, Parks and Trails (together known as Protected Landscapes).
Marking the anniversary, government announced that it will work with partners to develop new legislation to empower National Landscapes, including Chichester Harbour, to fulfil their great potential and opportunities for nature restoration.
While this is greatly welcomed, the Chichester Harbour Trust believes this is directly at odds with Government’s announcement last week of "immediate, mandatory" housing targets from councils as part of its plans to build 1.5 million houses by the next general election.
The plans involve an annual target of 370,000 new homes in England. Under the new National Planning Policy Framework, councils will have just 12 weeks to commit to a timetable for providing new homes in their area. If they fail to do so, ministers will "not hesitate" to impose a plan upon them, said Angela Rayner during the announcement.
The government has increased Chichester District Council's housing target to 1,206 homes, up by 59% from the previous figure of 760. The Council has responded with concern that infrastructure constraints make this target incredibly challenging.
Nick Backhouse, Chairman of the Chichester Harbour Trust expressed his concern - “the proposed increases in housing targets in the district could be catastrophic for Chichester Harbour and would undermine all our joint efforts to reverse the decline of this exceptional natural landscape.”
Nick added, “With the SSSI already in unfavourable declining condition, with failing water quality and deteriorating habitats, this unprecedented level of building places untenable levels of pressure on this already squeezed protected landscape and is at direct odds with the Government’s plans to champion these national treasures.”
“The Chichester Harbour Trust strongly urges Government to revisit its proposals to prevent irreversible harm to our celebrated natural environments and to ensure safeguards are in place to protect our most precious assets.”
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