MPs Have Just Voted Away Nature

MPs Have Just Voted Away Nature: Amendment 130 / 40 Is Dead, and It’s a Disaster for UK Wildlife

I am PISSED OFF!! As a naturalist, conservationist and as a UK Citizen!

Last Thursday, MPs voted down Amendment 130 (renamed Amendment 40 in the Commons) to the Planning & Infrastructure Bill a basic but vital safeguard for our wildlife and habitats. This was not a small adjustment; it was a serious environmental protection that hundreds of NGOs were calling for and now we face the risk of irreversible damage to threatened ecosystems.

What Was Amendment 40 And Why It Mattered

• The amendment was first introduced in the House of Lords as Amendment 130. The Wildlife Trusts

• Its focus was to exclude protected species and sensitive habitats from being eligible for Environmental Delivery Plans (EDPs). The Wildlife Trusts

• Why is that so important? Because under the current Bill, developers can pay into a Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) via EDPs, effectively allowing them to ‘offset’ the destruction of wildlife, sometimes by destroying it first. Badger Trust

• In the Lords, it was voted through decisively: 260 peers backed it, only 141 opposed. Badger Trust

• When it came back to the House of Commons, it was rebadged as Amendment 40, Labour whipped its MPs, and they rejected it by 244 votes to 132. Bat Conservation Trust

  
  

Why Conservation Groups Are So United on This

The opposition within conservation NGOs, to watering down protections was universal and rooted in real ecological science:

• Badger Trust was vocal: without the amendment, developers won't even need to do pre-development ecological surveys for protected species in areas covered by EDPs, meaning badgers (and others) could be killed or displaced. Badger Trust

• The Wildlife Trusts argued that Part 3 of the Bill would be catastrophic for species and places that simply cannot be “offset” elsewhere, such as ancient woodlands, dunes, and other irreplaceable habitats. Sussex Wildlife Trust

• The Bat Conservation Trust also campaigned hard, saying Amendment 40 was grounded in scientific evidence and would help safeguard local nature. Bat Conservation Trust

In short: this wasn’t a fringe or “nice to have” it was essential.

The State of Nature in the UK We Are Already Depleted

Let’s not forget the grim baseline we’re starting from:

• The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, with habitat loss, fragmentation, and declining species populations. (Yes, people have said it; people are angry for a reason.) Reddit

• Nature charities warn that this Bill, without the amendment, will accelerate that decline. The Guardian

• Thirty-two major UK nature organisations (including the RSPB, National Trust, Wildlife Trusts) have publicly railed against the Bill, saying it supercharges the decline of our most precious habitats. The Guardian

• There’s also very real concern for globally threatened and rare ecosystems: for example, MPs rejected a separate amendment to protect chalk streams but the UK is home to a staggering 85% of the worlds chalk streams and all of these are considered degraded or in a dire ecological state! The Guardian

What Happens Now The Real Ramifications of Rejecting Amendment 130

By killing off Amendment 130 / 40, MPs are effectively greenlighting a planning system that weakens pre-build environmental checks:

• Protected species and habitats are now at real risk

  Without the amendment, sensitive wildlife (badgers, dormice, otters, etc.) and fragile habitats could be managed via EDPs even when that means destruction first, compensation later. Badger Trust

  
  

• Ecological surveys could be side-lined

  The Bill would remove the explicit requirement for developers to conduct pre-development ecological surveys in many cases. Badger Trust

  
  

• A “pay-to-pollute” risk

  The Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) could become a loophole: developers pay compensation, but there's no guarantee of equivalent ecological restoration on site. The worry is that we’ll lose nature in places that matter, then pay for nature elsewhere, which doesn’t help local wildlife or communities. The Wildlife Trusts

  
  

• Legal protection is hollowed out

  Environmental protections that once relied on avoidance and mitigation could be weakened in practice. That means longer-term decline in biodiversity, and more wildlife crime. The Badger Trust warns of “contracted shooters” operating locally. Badger Trust

  
  

• Undermining public trust & green policy

  Nature organisations are deeply worried this Bill will erode accountability, especially when the Government is pushing this through while scaling back more robust protections. The Guardian+1

Why This Vote Really Feels Like a Betrayal

• Democratic betrayal: The Lords many of whom are not beholden to party whips carefully considered the science, listened to nature organisations, and overwhelmingly voted to protect wildlife. MPs have now steamrolled that.

• Short-term gain, long-term loss: Yes, the Government wants to build 1.5 million homes. But do we really need to bulldoze nature in the process? The way this Bill is structured suggests housing is more important than living ecosystems. Research Briefings

• We’re risking trust: The public overwhelmingly support stronger protections for nature. According to poll data referenced by environmental groups, 71% want more safeguards for green spaces yet their voices are being sidelined. The Guardian

• A broken “deal”: Reports suggest the Government offered nature groups some concessions in meetings, but then blocked real legal protections. The Guardian

What You Can Do — Speak Up Before It’s Too Late

This isn’t over, not yet. We need to make our outrage count. Here’s what you can do right now:

• Write to your MP

  Let them know you are angry and demand they support Amendment 130 / 40 when it comes back (or similar protections). Use your postcode to find your MP via WriteToThem, it’s fast, powerful, and your voice makes a difference.

  
  

• Write to the Lords

  Peers showed leadership in the Lord’s vote. Tell them to insist on Amendment 130 or equivalent protections when the Bill returns.

  
  

• Share and amplify

  Share this blog (or your own version) on social media, in community groups, nature forums, anywhere you can reach people who care deeply about the natural world. Share social media posts on the subject and raise awareness of what these nature zealots are doing to our wildlife.

  
  

• Support NGOs

  Consider supporting the Badger Trust, Wader Quest, Curlew Action, Wildlife Trusts, Bat Conservation Trust, and others. These organisations are already mobilising to push for change, and they need our backing.

In Short: We Can’t Let This Pass Quietly

This was not just a “missed opportunity” it was a full-throated betrayal of nature. By rejecting Amendment 130 / 40, MPs have sanctioned a system that could lead to even more wildlife loss, habitat destruction, and ecological harm, all in the name of PROFIT!

We don’t have time for lukewarm protection. We don’t have time for weak promises. We need real, legal, enforceable safeguards. And we need our voices now more than ever.

So please, find your MP here, write that email or letter, and demand they defend nature. If thousands more of us do it, we can still shift the balance. Let’s do it. Nature is worth fighting for.