Wild Justice follow through with legal challenge to the Government’s environmental protection claims

Environmental campaign group Wild Justice has applied for a judicial review of the government’s claim that the Planning and Infrastructure Bill will not lead to a weakening of environmental protections.

The group argues that Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s assurance in Parliament and official guidance, that the bill would “not reduce the level of environmental protection provided for by existing law”, is legally incorrect.

A pre-action letter was sent in May, and an application to the High Court has now followed.

At the heart of the case is expert legal opinion commissioned by Wild Justice, which states that the Bill represents a regression in environmental law. It points in particular to the removal of the requirement for scientific certainty that developments will not harm protected sites. Under the Bill, developers would instead be allowed to pay into a levy scheme as mitigation.

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), named as an interested party in the claim, has also described the bill as a “regression” and warned it would result in “fewer protections for nature”.

Dr Ruth Tingay, co-director of Wild Justice, said: “Ministers have a responsibility to ensure that claims they make are accurate. We gave the Deputy Prime Minister an opportunity to correct her misleading statement – she did not, and we are now asking the court to intervene.”

Leigh Day solicitor Ricardo Gama, representing the group, said the challenge aims to “force the government to be transparent” about the Bill’s true environmental impact.

A judge will now decide whether the case proceeds to a full hearing.