Big Society

NGO concern as UK Government releases its consultation on biodiversity offsetting

05.09.2013

Today, the UK Government published a long-awaited green paper on its proposed plans to implement biodiversity offsetting.

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Biodiversity Off-setting and Invertebrate Conservation

02.09.2013

Biodiversity off-setting represents a denial of any distinctive ecological value as the underlying assumption is that one group of organisms (an ecosystem) can simply be replaced by another.

At a more specific level, there are several reasons why off-setting from the perspective of invertebrate conservation is doomed to fail.

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Biodiversity offsetting permits previously rejected housing development

23.05.2013

Tyneside wildlife areas threatened by new development – biodiversity offsetting undermining local communities?

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Biodiversity offsetting in the UK one year on… it’s not looking good…

07.05.2013

UK’s Biodiversity Offset Pilot has nothing much to show for it. Not one of the six counties involved has made a single offset. This is disappointing for organisations such as the Environment Bank, for whom these pilots are core business, but for much of civil society, the failure is just a reminder that biodiversity offsetting is not the right approach to conserving our remaining natural spaces.

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Trading Places – biodiversity offsetting.

22.04.2013

With good design biodiversity could be increased on a development site. Biodiversity offsetting prevents this, it is selling your landscape, your place and you can’t say or do anything about it.

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Government Forestry and Woodlands Policy Statement and response to Independent Forestry Panel Report. Is it really good news, and what are they actually going to do?

05.02.2013

Sarah picks apart the Governments response to the Forestry Panel, with some insightful commentary

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Government response to Forest Campaign – it’s a Victory, no doubt about it!

05.02.2013

Public Forest Estate – SECURED in public ownership (unclear if in perpetuity), 15% sales – STOPPED, Forestry Commission – given more freedom from Government, Funding – Huge concern, Structure – yet to be decided. Is it just a vote winner or is it actually useful?

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Middle Ground not No Mans Land

05.02.2013

There is opportunity offered in the government response and now policy to do so. It is up to the independent campaigners, including ourselves to keep these doors open.

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Who will fight for nature in future?

23.01.2013

Independence of the charitable sector is under threat, so who IS going to fight for nature? Asks Sarah Walters of Alvecote Wood

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Public Forest Estate – Open Letter to DEFRA & the Treasury from the Forests Campaigns Network

10.01.2013

We are expecting the government to respond officially to the forestry panels report at the end of this month. In anticipation of this the Forest Campaigns Network has written an open letter to ministers Owen Paterson, David Heath and George Osborne

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Children and Nature

25.11.2012

“letting children enjoy the landscape in their own way can be just as effective as any exciting day out. If we encourage them to love & value their landscape, then hopefully we can not only kindle a lifelong passion but help to shape how the next generation will treat these issues

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Public ready to rise up again if Government fails them over public woods & forests

25.06.2012

In a survey carried out by Our Forests with 38 Degrees [1], just under 90% of those responding [2] said they would campaign against the Government [3] if their concerns about and hopes for England’s public woods and forests are not met [4].

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A Garden for Everyone? by Rod Leslie

15.09.2011

In our crowded country we simply haven’t the space for everyone to have a garden, so why shouldn’t we have gardens for everyone? by Rod Leslie

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Ancient coppiced Oak, a portal to another World… Deep Play

09.09.2011

An illustration of how important it is that children have access to natural spaces; the closer to home the better…

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13 Steps towards a National Planning Policy Framework

31.08.2011

Alister Scott, Professor of Spatial Planning and Governance of Birmingham City University, is a social scientist, geographer and chartered planner with research interests centred around the changing nature of governance and partnerships. Here are his 13 steps towards a National Planning Policy Framework..

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What Does Sustainability Mean to Me?

15.08.2011

Si Jakeman, a fire fighter from London, shares with us his vision of Deep Sustainability and interconnectedness…

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Wild Space – Hen goes to Forest School

14.08.2011

Hen goes to Forest School and learns more than she bargained for… #NPPF #Riots

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Response to ‘Why Trees & Woods Matter’: Progression or Regression for UK Forest landscapes?

19.06.2011

Soil expert & silvaculturist Pip Howard challenges the Woodland Trust supported report; ‘The Importance of Trees and Woods’ from think tank ResPublica…

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