Environmental groups have warned that a new government levy could put dormice, otters, and other vulnerable species at serious risk. The Wildlife and Countryside Link (WCL) — a coalition of 90 environmental organizations — released a report warning of a “black hole” in scientific evidence supporting the plan.
Under the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill, developers could pay a “nature restoration levy” instead of following current rules protecting wildlife. Ministers claim the levy will balance economic growth and conservation, but environmentalists argue it may accelerate species decline.
Officials pointed to the district-level licensing system for great crested newts as a model. That system speeds up building projects by allowing developers to pay fees for habitat creation rather than relocate animals. However, WCL said only newts have shown measurable recovery under such an approach.
“The government risks gambling with biodiversity,” said Richard Benwell, WCL’s chief executive. “If applied wrongly, it could turn chronic decline into catastrophe.”
Experts Say Key Species Face Irreversible Damage
The report warns that many protected animals and plants could suffer if safeguards are weakened. It lists species such as hazel dormice, otters, barn owls, beavers, and rare orchids as particularly vulnerable.
Dormice populations have dropped 70% since 2000, and the animals rely on linked hedgerows and woodlands for survival. Otters need clean, connected rivers and cannot easily relocate. Barn owls require open countryside and barns to breed but already face shrinking habitats due to building conversions.
The lizard orchid, which depends on unique soil fungi, rarely survives relocation, while reintroduced beavers risk population collapse if compensation schemes disrupt their established territories.
“Habitats take decades to form,” the report said. “They cannot simply be transferred to a spreadsheet and rebuilt later.”
Conservationists demand a precautionary approach, arguing that any new system must rely on robust scientific evidence and field trials before replacing existing site-level protections.
Environmentalists Urge Science-Based Planning, Government Defends Proposal
Becky Pullinger, head of land use planning at The Wildlife Trusts, said the proposed legislation could undermine decades of progress in protecting endangered species.
“Science must guide development decisions,” Pullinger said. “If ignored, species like dormice, otters, and barn owls could pay the price.”
She urged ministers to ensure nature protection remains central to the new planning system, insisting that development and conservation can coexist when handled responsibly.
In response, a government spokesperson rejected the criticism.
“We completely reject these claims,” they said. “The Nature Restoration Fund is designed to deliver more for nature, not less. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill will support both the economy and the environment.”
The WCL continues to call for transparency, scientific oversight, and strict safeguards, warning that without them, wildlife could disappear under “a concrete carpet in the name of growth.”
