The federal government has launched a 12-week session on a brand new method to land use that it mentioned will empower decision-makers with the instruments to guard the most efficient agricultural land and increase meals safety.
The Land Use Framework units out how the federal government intends to construct 1.5m houses, ship important infrastructure, safe clear energy, defend farmland and restore the pure world.
Whereas the readability the announcement brings has been welcomed, issues have been expressed that the coverage might take away giant swathes of farmland for housing and different tasks.
Nonetheless, launching the session on the Royal Geographical Society at present, Defra secretary Steve Reed mentioned: “Utilizing probably the most subtle land use knowledge ever revealed, we’ll rework how we use our land. Which means enabling the safety of prime agricultural land, restoring our pure world and driving financial progress.”
Working collectively
“This framework is not going to inform folks what to do. It’s about working collectively to pool our data and sources, to offer native and nationwide authorities, landowners, companies, farmers and nature teams the info and instruments they should take knowledgeable actions which might be greatest for them, greatest for the land, and greatest for the nation.”
He mentioned the federal government has made a ‘cast-iron dedication to take care of long-term meals manufacturing’. “The first goal of farming will all the time be to supply meals that feeds the nation. This framework will give determination makers the toolkit they should defend our highest high quality agricultural land,” he mentioned.
“This imaginative and prescient for land is one wherein we assure our long-term meals safety and future-proof our farm companies, assist new housebuilding and power infrastructure, and cut back conflicts that maintain up improvement by creating land with a number of advantages – supporting financial progress on the restricted land we have now obtainable.
“The Framework will assist farm companies to maximise the potential of a number of makes use of of land, supporting long-term meals manufacturing capability and unlocking alternatives for companies to drive non-public finance into the sector. It should assist the necessity to incentivise multi-functional land use that features meals manufacturing.”
The session will search views from farmers, landowners, companies and nature teams throughout the nation, together with a collection of workshops.
Deputy prime minister and housing secretary, Angela Rayner mentioned: “Immediately marks an necessary step ahead in our journey to construct the 1.5 million new houses that we desperately want.
“This new method will make higher use of our land and grasp the alternatives to ship new houses and infrastructure within the areas most in want, reaching win-win outcomes for each improvement and the setting.
Response
NFU president Tom Bradshaw mentioned: “With competitors for land ever rising, we should have a land use plan in place, underpinned by sound science and proof, that has British meals at its coronary heart and ensures we make the most effective use of our best agricultural land.”
Nation Land and Enterprise Affiliation (CLA) president Victoria Vyvyan mentioned: “Land managers are central to the supply of the federal government’s insurance policies for local weather, nature, meals safety,housing and power, and are in the most effective place to know what is correct for his or her land and enterprise. A land use framework should not stifle farming or environmentalinnovation, or stop rural improvement and enterprise diversification.”
NPA chief execitive Lizzie Wilson mentioned: “We welcome readability announcement brings and the chance to participate within the dialog about this important coverage.
“This clearly brings alternatives and threats for farmers. It’s important that the precise steadiness is discovered between enabling farms and rural companies to develop and prosper, whereas additionally defending productive farmland in assembly housing and different targets.”
