CIEEM gives evidence to Environmental Audit Committee on nature and development

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Yesterday – represented by Ben Kite CEcol MCIEEM, chair of CIEEM’s Strategic Policy Panel – CIEEM gave oral evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee’s inquiry on environmental sustainability and housing growth.

The evidence session follows the Government’s publication of new planning reform proposals in December.

The questioning from MPs varied widely across Local Nature Recovery Strategies, the revised National Planning Policy Framework, capacity across a number of sectors, retention in the ecology sector, better use of data, Biodiversity Net Gain, issues with monitoring and enforcement, nature markets, nutrient neutrality, training needs across sectors, and the forthcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

Other witnesses who gave evidence:

  • Sarah Postlethwaite MCIEEM, Planning Ecologist at North Northamptonshire Council
  • Dr John Martin, Associate Professor at School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth
  • Dr Iain Boulton, Vice Chair at Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE)
  • Dr Victoria Hills, Chief Executive at Royal Town Planning Institute
  • Charlotte Neal, Director of Surveying Practice at Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Watch the full evidence session.