However, the current proposals still fall far short of what is needed for a transformative revolution of our designated landscapes, fundamentally there is a lack of resource and funding to support many new measures. In particular, there is no commitment to the multi-year funding agreements suggested by the Glover Review. Regardless, the changes being made are positive and we hope to work closely with government to ensure designated landscapes can truly deliver for people, place and nature.

The consultation had questions focused on:
• The proposed changes to the statutory purposes for protected landscapes
• The development of the new environmental land management scheme
• The management of visitor pressure and potential enforcement powers
• The role of AONB teams in planning
• Proposed changes to the boards of protected landscapes
• The role of public bodies and strengthening their statutory duties

The LI has published a full response here. We would like to thank the members that contributed to this consultation. For more information or to get involved please email policy@landscapeinstitute.org

The post LI responds to DEFRA consultation on the Landscapes Review first appeared on Landscape Institute.

The Levelling Up agenda

The main premise of levelling up is to reduce regional inequality while improving outcomes across the country. The government emphasises a focus on “place” through rhetoric about ‘restoring people’s sense of pride in their community’ and ‘[enabling] more people to get on in life, without feeling they have to leave their local area’.

The promise to ‘level up and unite the country’ has has been a recurring slogan since the current government entered office. It was a central pledge in the Conservatives’ 2019 election manifesto: providing, alongside its counterpart promise to ‘get Brexit done’, one of history’s simplest plans for government.

Indeed, the Levelling Up agenda has attracted consistent criticism for its nebulous nature, lacking clarity on what it means, what policy areas it covers, and how the government will deliver it.

The White Paper cements the agenda’s wide-ranging ambition. It is a dense document with twelve broad missions, including policy on housing and development, broadband, education, skills and training, public transport, crime, and even healthy food. Such a vast range of policy areas will demand the involvement of multiple departments involved, but the newly named Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) will take the driving seat. Michael Gove, in his dual role as Secretary of State for Levelling Up and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations, will need to wear both hats to steer this flagship policy.

Areas of interest to landscape professionals

The document is 332 pages long, but the tangible policy content doesn’t start until almost halfway through.

There are several areas of interest here; some new, some old. The most relevant announcements to landscape appear under the broad auspices of:

1. Regeneration (with some auxiliary objectives of interest: transformational projects; high street rejuvenation; and green spaces)
2. Communities
3. Culture, heritage, and sport

Built environment and landscape professionals, particularly those in placemaking and urban regeneration, will play a key role in role in delivery.

Transformational projects

The government will identify and engage with 20 towns and cities in England that demonstrate strong local leadership and ambition, and that have the greatest potential to maximise the impact of existing investment. They will also expand mayoral powers throughout the UK.

Local leaders in England will be able to deliver regeneration by combining local funding, DLUHC’s £1.8bn brownfield and infrastructure fund, and private investment. Much of the tangible funding commitments, however, are from past announcements.

The government will also refocus the statutory priorities of Homes England, asking them to play a wider role in supporting local leaders to unlock barriers to regeneration.

High street rejuvenation

The government’s plans to level up and rejuvenate high-streets largely relies on existing strategies, funding, and partnerships.

The High Streets Task Force will continue to support local authorities, with the next 68 local authorities identified for targeted support.

Green spaces

The government plans to devolve more responsibilities to local leaders and communities to reimagine urban green space and improve access for communities. This includes enhancing and maintaining Green Belt protection.

The government will develop plans for:

1. further greening the Green Belt in England;
2. bringing back wildlife, increasing public access while delivering nature recovery; and
3. securing further environmental improvements.

The government has also pledged to increase investment into parks. The LI is exploring partnership work with DLUHC to deliver the existing £9m UK-wide Levelling Up Parks Fund, which provides direct grants to deliver over 100 green spaces in the communities with the lowest access.

There will also be a new £30m parks fund to refurbish at least 30 local parks in England, with an emphasis on facilities for young families.

Better targets

The Levelling Up White Paper is, unlike recent government plans, backed with new targets. These deliverables will measure the governments performance and hopefully encourage policies and funding that will realise this vision.

Of interest to our sector are some useful, albeit ambiguous, targets on public pride in place, or ‘people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community’: ‘By 2030, pride in place …  will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between top performing and other areas closing.’

Little new funding

A lot of the funding within the White Paper is from pre-allocated money or announcements we’ve already heard. It’s clear there is very little new money to spend.

The government are instead redirecting existing resources to support the Levelling Up agenda, with many powers devolved to local governments, and Homes England now in charge of tackling regional growth and development. Devolving responsibility to new and existing combined authorities and equipping them with more seconded and new civil servants will be crucial to successful implementation.

With just eight years to realise many targets, it seems unlikely that current resources alone will be enough. We will be calling on the government to target spending in ways that truly deliver: for example, £1 spent on parks in England returns an estimated £7 benefit.

Strong on vision, small on details

As I’ve often written in response to recent government plans, the proof will be in the pudding and the devil in the detail. The White Paper is not a full detailed plan on how to achieve levelling up; it is a vision. It currently lacks policies and plans, and the government still needs to flesh out its ideas to ensure these initiatives endure.

The government are, however, planning a significant amount of engagement and informal consultation. This includes setting up local panels and ‘a structured process’ of ministerial visits. The LI will ensure to represent our members’ voices in this process.

The White Paper contains ambitious plans to reduce regional inequality by 2030. Achieving its targets means developing and building on these ideas as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or would like to get involved in the LI’s policy work, please get in touch: policy@landscapeinstitute.org.

The post Landscape Institute comments on the Levelling Up White Paper first appeared on Landscape Institute.

In May 2018, the government commissioned an independent review into the efficacy of protections for National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs). In particular, the review focused on what might work better, what changes could help, and existing definitions and systems were still valid.

The review’s final report was published on 21 September 2019. But the government’s all-important response – i.e. which recommended changes it will implement, and how – was delayed.

The Landscape Institute (LI) has development worked with our members to ensure our national landscapes can endure, improve, and thrive. The ‘Glover review’ provided an overdue opportunity for reform; to protect these landscapes’ original purpose, enhance nature, and maximise public benefit.

The LI are pleased to see many of the recommendations from our initial consultation response remain in the latest iteration. We’ll be working with members to ensure that the implementation matches the original review’s ambition.

This article will highlight some of the key changes in the review and how members can get involved.

Proposed new powers for AONBs

The Glover review highlighted the often unrecognised role that AONBs play in protecting and enhancing landscapes, stating that AONBs ‘are just as important for people and nature’ as National Parks. With greater planning powers, AONBs could better shape development within their regions.

The review found that AONBs often lack the resources to properly engage with the planning system, and have limited heft in influencing planning decisions. Defra has proposed that AONBs become statutory consultees for development management, and feed in to all planning applications that require an Environmental Impact Assessment, as well as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.

A new nationwide partnership

The government consultation recommends that designated landscapes should form a national partnership to promote joint working, improve contributions to national nature targets, and lay the foundation for the government’s goal of protecting 30% of the country 2030.

There is no suggestion that there will be a new public body, with the government explaining that a new institution would ‘simply create another organisation within an already complex governance system’.

Designated landscapes could aid in nature recovery

The consultation suggests expanding the statutory purpose of designated landscapes.  Under the proposals, a key function of National Park Authorities and AONBs would be to drive nature recovery.

This follows the Glover review’s warning that current legislation does not reflect the urgency and importance of nature recovery, and that many national landscapes are environmentally degraded.

Changes to designated landscape governance

Defra is proposing some key changes to designated landscapes governance. The Glover review was critical of the governance performance of protected landscapes, stating that National Park boards ‘do not do a good job in setting a strategic direction and are deeply unrepresentative of England’s diverse communities’.

In response, Defra proposes ‘a flexible package of statutory and non-statutory measures’ to improve performance and strengthen local partnerships, to ensure that ‘local voices’ inform decisions.

Natural England will take on a bigger role

As the LI recommended, Natural England will take on a more important role in supporting designated landscapes, advising on their proper management and protection. The government also proposes that Natural England should monitor progress on the delivery of a ‘national landscapes strategy’.

Next steps

The LI will continue to examine the proposed changes and will seek to respond after gathering input from members. Delivering of these measures will necessitate a commitment to resourcing and engagement with our sector, driving environmental improvement to bring the UK’s landscapes to life. We look forward to working closely with the government to develop a robust strategy for our designated landscapes, to ensure they truly deliver for people, place, and nature.

If you would like to feed into our response, please contact the policy team at policy@landscapeinstitute.org.

The post Examining the UK Government’s response to the Landscapes Review first appeared on Landscape Institute.

We support the review of the energy National Policy Statements (NPS) and welcome many of the changes to the policy. The LI consulted with our members to provide a holistic response. We have reviewed the various NPSs where relevant and set out potential areas for additions and amendments.

What are National Policy Statements?

National policy statements are produced and released by the government. The statements detail the reasoning behind policy choices and include explanations of how it incorporates government policy. The policy in these statements must explain how the government is mitigating climate change and/or adapting to it. NPSs cover the following areas; Energy, Transport, Water, and Waste. The focus of this consultation was on the energy NPSs.

How are they different to town planning guidance?

The energy NPSs covers the overarching delivery of energy infrastructure in the UK and provides the legal framework for planning decisions. They are separate from the usual planning processes under the Town and Country Planning act, are considered as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) and gain development consent under the Planning Act 2008.

Energy National Policy Statements

For energy there are 12 different NPSs that are set out across 6 different NPS documents. They are produced by the former Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), now the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). The energy National Policy Statements (NPS) were first ‘designated’ in 2011 and the Planning Act 2008 provides that, NPSs must be reviewed if there has been a “significant change” in circumstances.

In recent years there had been a number of calls for the NPS to be reviewed in light of changed government policy, not least the net zero commitment. Following the publication of the Energy White Paper in December 2020, the Government announced that a review of the energy NPSs would commence to support their drive to net zero. The consultation does not include a revised EN-6 (which applies for nuclear projects deployable before 2025) due to a lack of need for review.

LI Response

You can see our full response here. Below are the LI’s headline comments

• The LI strongly supports the drive towards Net Zero and, in particular welcomes, the new guidance sections for renewable energy development.
• Overall, the strength and detail added to the landscape and visual considerations is welcome, these protections and considerations should not be eroded.
• The new additions of guidance on biodiversity enhancement and protection are also vital.
• Delivery of energy infrastructure will require a broad range of skills and additional capacity. Landscape practitioners possess many of the key competencies required.

For more information or comments please email the policy team: policy@landscapeinstitute.org

The post LI response to BEIS review of energy National Policy Statements first appeared on Landscape Institute.

The government’s 2020 Energy White Paper set out a long-term strategic vision for energy infrastructure, consistent with the UK’s ambition to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The White Paper establishes the goal of moving from fossil fuels to clean energy.

In a review of all National Policy Statements for energy infrastructure, the government determined that documents EN-1 through EN-5 should be amended to reflect the policies set out in the White Paper and support investment in clean infrastructure.

An ongoing consultation closes on 29 November, and the LI is seeking views from our members to support our response.

A summary of changes

One consistent difference is the decision-making aspect. Previously, energy NPS stated the now-defunct Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) had decision-making powers; this responsibility now falls to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

There are new generic changes to the landscape assessment sections laid out in NPS1, which we will discuss later in this briefing. New sections address the specific impacts to landscape and biodiversity of pumped hydro storage and photovoltaic generation. Further developments to tidal stream energies and wind turbines will be encouraged offshore, with potential impacts for seascape assessments.

Another implication of the updated NPS is the new Biodiversity Net Gain mandate. This will mean a ramp up in habitat creation and enhancing the existing landscape to promote biodiversity. The energy NPS document also explores the ‘good design’ principles for energy infrastructure.

Increased scope

The overarching NPS for Energy (EN-1) has more direct impact, as opposed to the previously high-level EN-1. It is the primary policy document for decision making where there is no technology-specific NPS, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS), hydrogen, or other forms of novel low-carbon generation.

EN-1 also makes it clear that it will be, in conjunction with any relevant technology-specific NPS, the primary policy for the Secretary of State’s Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) decision making on energy infrastructure.

Generic impacts to landscape

There is an entirely new sub-chapter highlighting the visual effects on the landscape that energy projects will have:

• Cooling towers
• Exhaust stacks
• Various cooling systems

Landscape and visual impacts of energy projects will vary on a case-by-case basis according to the type of development, its location, and the landscape setting of the development.

Good design

The term ‘good design’ appears frequently in the new NPS. What this means simply for building design is that new buildings must be both fit for purpose and sustainable. Applying this ‘good design’ principle to energy projects should produce sustainable energy infrastructure in the UK.

Pumped hydro storage

A new aspect of the energy NPS will be the expansion of pumped hydro storage (PHS) in the UK’s electricity grid. PHS used for the storage of electricity rather than the generation. PHS helps decarbonise the electricity system by making the electricity supply more renewable, and providing greater flexibility to demand.

This will present landscape impacts to mountainous or hilly areas:

• Construction of substantial concrete dams
• Construction of generating stations
• Substantial civil works for the schemes foundations and to dig the reservoirs
• Flooding of land to create reservoirs

Solar photovoltaic generation

The expansion of solar photovoltaic generation (SPG) will be done onshore and will cover areas on low-lying landscapes with exposure to sunlight. The impacts will be as follows:

• Large areas covered with solar farms
• Land used for a construction compound to assemble necessary components

Assessment principles

There is a greater focus on environmental principles, including marine considerations, and new sections cover biodiversity net gain, early engagement with stakeholders, and good design principles. New sections are also included on the 25-year Environment Plan.

Biodiversity Net Gain

A new part of the energy NPS is Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG). This is the requirement to leave the local natural environment around and within a development in a measurably better state (specifically, 10% better) than previously.

Part of the new energy landscape will include opportunities to enhance biodiversity. This means that all applicants will need to seek opportunities in the projects to enhance biodiversity – although this is not a legal requirement.

The LI policy team has produced a summary of the key changes, which you can download here.

If you would like to input into the consultation know more about this or our other ongoing policy projects, please email the team at policy@landscapeinstitute.org.

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The Act outlines measures intended to protect and enhance the UK’s environments in a world without EU oversight. Initially brought before the House of Commons in October 2019, the Act suffered numerous delays; first due to Brexit and the 2019 General Election, and then to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The UK’s departure from the EU left an environmental ‘governance gap’, which the Environment Act aims plug by maintaining key EU standards; including measures to tackle air pollution, meet net zero by 2050, and restore and enhance nature.

Significant news for landscape practice

The Environment Act includes several provisions of significance to our sector, not least of which is the new biodiversity net gain (BNG) condition. More on this below.

The Act aims to clean up the country’s air, increase biodiversity, restore and create habitats for nature, and tackle deforestation overseas. Having become law during COP26, this Act legally binds the government and public bodies to these environmental obligations at a time when the world’s focus is on climate change and biodiversity loss.

Since 2019, the LI has been working with partners to improve the Act. We supported the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) publication Assurances for an Environment Act, which outlines how the legislation should create a coherent, long-term framework for the environment. We also contributed to Environmental Policy Forum (EPF) initiatives to strengthen the bill.

Overarching legal ramifications of the Environment Act

The Act will require the environment secretary set long-term, legally binding targets on air quality, biodiversity, water, resource efficiency, and waste reduction from 2022.

These targets will have a minimum duration of 15 years – and controversially, the government chose not to set interim targets to track their progress and ensure their success.

The new Office of Environmental Protection (OEP) replaces the European Commission as the domestic enforcer of enforcement policy. Under the Environment Act, the environment secretary can now issue guidance to the OEP.

Biodiversity Net Gain

A key win from this Act is the commitment to halt species decline by 2030 – an improvement over the previous Bill, which did not include this commitment.

Mandatory BNG requirements will require all Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) and Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) developments to deliver a 10% increase in biodiversity.

Biodiversity gain will become a condition of planning permission. The law also requires habitats to be secured for at least 30 years. Natural England will also develop a net gain sites register, which will make publicly available information about any site being used to deliver BNG.

BNG applies to almost all development in England. Exempt from the requirement are national infrastructure projects covered by the Planning Act 2008; some small developments not requiring an environmental impact assessment; and developments on brownfield land.

If a developer is unable to provide a 10% biodiversity gain through habitat creation, they must either offset the loss on another piece of land, or purchase conservation credits from the Secretary of State.

Local authorities

The Environment Act will require local authorities to produce a biodiversity report every five years. These reports will need to state what actions authorities have taken to improve biodiversity, and their impact.

Forestry

The Act offers increased protection for trees in the UK and abroad. Tree-felling in the UK is under stricter control, with local highway authorities required to consult with communities before felling street trees. There will be an increase in fines for illegal felling in the UK.

The Act will also curb overseas deforestation in UK supply chains. This is intended to end the illegal felling of trees abroad and conserve the world’s forests.

Local nature recovery strategies

Local nature recovery strategies (LNRS) are a new system of spatial strategies applicable across the whole of England. The environment secretary will appoint authorities to lead each LNRS area. These authorities will have the task of creating opportunities to improve local habitats and aid in their recovery. (Read the LI’s response to LNRS implementation here.)

Concerns over impartiality and integrity

The secretary of state’s new power to issue guidance to the OEP somewhat undermines the UK’s environment watchdogs. The secretary of state both sets the OEP’s budget and appoints its leadership; will the Office be able to bite the proverbial hand that feeds it?

Some clauses within the Act state that the secretary of state ‘must have regard to the need to protect its independence’. Such provisions will hopefully allow the OEP to remain impartial, but independent bodies will no doubt be closely scrutinising its efficacy.

The government also avoided setting legally binding interim targets on air quality, biodiversity, water, resource efficiency, and waste reduction. This abrogation of short-term responsibility could jeopardise the integrity of the Act’s ambitions.

All attention must now focus on the Act’s implementation, to ensure that its ambitions translate into robust action. LI members will of course play a huge part in achieving this, particularly with regard to delivering Biodiversity Net Gain.

For more information on the Environment Act, or any of our other ongoing policy projects, please get in touch: policy@landscapeinstitute.org.

The post LI policy update: The Environment Act 2021 first appeared on Landscape Institute.

Given the urgency of the climate and biodiversity crises, the budget fails to deliver appropriate funding and investment to match the huge challenges faced. There is little additional money for nature, and funding for tackling climate change is mixed.

The government’s focus on technological solutions to climate change is supported by more funding into electric vehicles, hydrogen plants and R&D. However, this focus on technology fails to capture the important role that nature-based solutions can play in tackling both the climate and biodiversity emergencies. Whilst there is some additional funding for nature this stands at around £9m, far below what is required.

That £9m has been pledged for local authorities looking to transform neglected urban spaces, on the condition that they use the funding to create green spaces that increase biodiversity and deliver carbon sequestration. These so-called ‘pocket parks’ are frequently created on small, irregular pieces of land such as vacant building lots. The governments estimates that at least 100 parks should be created by this funding is ambitious, the funding of just £90k per park leaves little for maintenance, innovation and delivery of long-term quality green infrastructure.

Key announcements

Public transport funding

• Cities across England will receive £6.9bn to spend on active transport and public transport projects. £1.5bn of this funding is new.

 Housebuilding

• A multi-year housing settlement, totalling £24bn; £11.5bn towards building 180,000 new affordable homes.
• An extra £1.8bn is being invested to bring 1,500 hectares of brownfield land into use, meet the Gov’s commitment to invest £10bn in new housing and unlock 1m new homes.

Planning

• £65m to digitize England’s planning system

The real win for the landscape sector could be within the realm of skills, where the government has pledged £3.8bn over the parliament in skills funding, which in part is targeted at developing the nation’s green jobs and skills. The budget includes £1.6bn to introduce new T-level courses for those aged 16 to 19, plus £170m for apprenticeships and £550m for reskilling adults. However, a more joined-up strategy is needed, the LI is calling on the government to create a National Green Skills and Jobs Strategy with specific funding for landscape apprenticeships and education.

The LI will continue to work with government to ensure that the policies funded by this most recent budget deliver. Despite a lack of increased investment in nature-based solutions, the delivery of the investment that has been pledged will be vital. Government will need to work with partners to ensure that the Net-Zero Strategy is cohesive and deliverable.

At COP26 next week we will be outlining how the landscape profession can play a key role in driving the net-zero, please follow the COP26 page for updates and if you have any questions about this briefing or our wider work please email: policy@landscapeinstitute.org.

The post Landscape Institute reacts to the government’s latest budget first appeared on Landscape Institute.

There are some promising opportunities for the landscape sector, and positive general steps towards net zero in transport, green finance, and green jobs.

However, while the strategy outlines a few positive initiatives for nature – most markedly an extra £124 million to the Nature for Climate Fund, which boosts woodland creation and peatland restoration – it lacks detailed policies or investment in nature-based solutions and green infrastructure.

The strategy sets out policies to meet the fourth and fifth Carbon Budgets, the UK’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and a decarbonised economy by 2050. It is formulated under four key principles:

1. Prioritise consumer choice.
2. Ensure the biggest polluters pay the most for the transition through carbon pricing.
3. Ensure the most vulnerable are protected through government support, such as discounted energy bills and energy-efficiency upgrades.
4. Work with businesses to deliver cost reductions in low-carbon technology.

Up to £90bn in private investment will support 440,000 jobs in green industries by 2030. The aim is to provide certainty to businesses to support the UK in low-carbon technologies and develop green industries in industrial heartlands.

The document is a much-needed step forward ahead of COP26, where the UK must take leadership in the journey towards net zero. The UK has lacked an overarching strategy for meeting its climate goals for a number of years. There are certainly positives for our sector among the wider policy changes.

Nature for Climate

• The Net-Zero Strategy commits the UK Government to boost the existing £640m Nature for Climate Fund with an additional £124m, ensuring that at least £750m will be spent by 2025 on peat restoration, woodland creation and management.

Green infrastructure

• In 2022, the government will launch a new National Framework of Green Infrastructure Standards. This is nothing new, however – the LI has been working with Natural England to review the framework’s progress.

Skills funding

• The strategy pledges to reform the skills system to equip training providers, employers, and learners with green skills and support the development of UK supply chains.
• A sustainability and climate change strategy for education and children’s services will include a focus on equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to contribute to the green economy.

‘Lacking in detail’

Despite these positives, the land use, nature, and agriculture sections of the strategy are lacking detail, and are the weakest in the document.

Agriculture lacks any clear targets, and the government is hedging its bets on afforestation and peatland restoration to offset this output. The government has included a new commitment to restore 280,000 hectares of peat in England by 2050. While this is an improvement on the 35,000 hectares it had previously pledged to restore by 2025, it still falls short of the Committee of Climate Change’s recommendations of near complete restoration.

Overall, the strategy is an important first step in the right direction. It’s clear that the government is targeting high-emission areas such as transport and heat in buildings. But we need frameworks that offer wider policy interventions on expanding green infrastructure, protecting and enhancing landscapes, and reducing embodied carbon.

The LI will continue to work with government to ensure the approach to reaching net-zero is truly sustainable, with action on adaptation as well as mitigation. The UK must undertake its journey to net zero in a way which addresses the climate emergency, delivers for nature, reduces public health inequalities, and improves the quality of life for everyone in Britain. One of the best ways to achieve this is by investing in better, greener places.

Read more: Landscape for 2030 – How landscape practice can respond to the climate crisis

For more information on this document, our work leading up to COP26, and our ongoing policy priorities, please contact policy@landscapeinstitute.org.

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The LI has worked closely with the Secretary of State in the past, most recently during his stint as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and welcomes the appointment. Mr Gove will bring with him a wealth of experience and political weight at a time when the built environment sector needs ambitious leadership.

Shadow minister for housing from 2005 to 2007, Mr Gove became education secretary in 2010, a position he held for four years. Between 2017 and 2019, as environment secretary, Mr Gove delivered important consultations and projects on biodiversity net gain, and was a driving force behind the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.

‘This is a vital time for both the natural and built environments’, said Sue Morgan, Chief Executive of the LI. ‘Having a minster who understands the value of nature and has the political clout to drive change will be key. We need real leadership in this area to address the climate and biodiversity crises and deliver positive planning reforms. The Institute looks forward to working closely with Mr Gove on this incredibly important brief.’

Mr Gove arrives at MCHLG during a hectic period, with the progress of long-awaited planning reforms stymied by considerable internal party resistance. Translating the vision of the Planning White Paper into deliverable policy will be difficult, and with the Chesham and Amersham by-election living fresh in the party’s memory, we may see a considerable delay to the Planning Bill – or even an outright scrapping.

Some of Mr Gove’s comments and achievements in previous roles may help signal his policy intent for MHCLG. Mr Gove recently hailed the work of the Building Better, Building Beautiful Commission, saying: ‘We need to revive the garden city approach of the past by making places cherishable and desirable to live in.’ As environment secretary, he drove some forward-thinking policy initiatives, ranging from banning plastic straws to curbing the ivory trade.

At such a crucial time for our sector, we will continue to work closely with the department, ensuring the new minster and his team are aware of the key role landscape practitioners can play in building back greener.

Other appointments

With Cristopher Pincher remaining in post as housing minister, there is some semblance of continuity in the department. The minister, who attended our Place and Health CPD event last year, has highlighted placemaking and good design as key to his remit.

Neil O’Brien MP has been made Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the MHCLG. Having previously advised on the government’s levelling up agenda, he will be expected to continue this role in a more formal capacity. Saffron Walden’s MP Kemi Badenoch has also joined MCHLG as Minister for Levelling Up, the government’s flagship development policy.

At the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Nadine Dorries has replaced Oliver Dowden as Culture Secretary. Dorries, the MP for Mid-Bedfordshire, was promoted from her former position as Minister of Mental Health for the Department of Health and Social Care. She will play a role in several pertinent policy areas including heritage, leisure and sport.

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A flagship Conservative policy, the idea of levelling up is a drive to spread wealth to ‘left-behind’ towns and improve the prospects of those living in them. We’ve been clear in our Greener Recovery Paper and 12 asks of government that a levelling up agenda and a green recovery must go hand in hand. Left-behind places need investment in housing and infrastructure, skills, and innovation; but those skills must be green, the infrastructure sustainable, and the innovation climate-friendly.

This most recent speech attempts to turn the rhetorical idea of levelling up into substantive policy. But while big on vision, the announcements were light on details.

Key points

• Levelling up will depend on a strong and dynamic economy
• A £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund will be available for local green infrastructure and sustainable transport
• A new High Streets Strategy will form part of the agenda, as will a further 15 Town Deals, both announced yesterday
• There is likely to be some more devolution to local areas
• Eight city regions will benefit from a £4.2bn city region sustainable transport fund
• The government will pledge another £50m for football pitches for local communities
• There will be a focus on tackling litter, graffiti and gum in public spaces

High Streets Strategy

The new High Streets Strategy principally comprises existing policy announcements. It includes a section on the importance of public realm and green infrastructure, which, while welcome, includes no new legislation. It also references forthcoming Green Infrastructure Standards, the Manual for Streets review, and planning reforms.

Conspicuously, there is little said in the new strategy of the existing High Streets Task Force, through which expert members of the Landscape Institute and other professional bodies are providing direct help to selected local authorities. Nor is there any mention of how the new Strategy will synergise with or build upon the work of the Task Force. With urban centres in need of bespoke support that addresses the systemic causes as well as the effects of high street decline, we hope that the government will provide more clarity in the near future on how the two initiatives will progress in tandem.

Next steps

With a White Paper due in the autumn, we’ll work with government to ensure that levelling up means greener, professionally designed and managed places that contribute to net zero and truly deliver for people and the environment.

We’ll be reviewing the finer details of the speech in the coming week, with more insight to follow.

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