Become a local planning champion

You can help wildlife and nature recovery by actively participating in the planning system. Rather than only reacting to potentially damaging planning applications, it’s more effective to change the policies that govern planning decisions.

The Wildlife Trusts need people who can respond to Local Development Plan consultations, and engage with their local community on planning matters, as well as look at planning lists and respond to planning applications. (We call them our Local Planning Champions.)

Here are the things you can do to help:

1. Respond to your Local Development Plan consultations. This is one of the most important things you can do to protect local wildlife. This is because the Local Development Plan should contain policies to protect nature, and make sure that new developments benefit biodiversity as well as people. If we ensure that Local Development Plans support wildlife, this makes sure that all developments in the area support wildlife as much as possible. Your response helps make sure that these essential policies are included, and that they are the best they can be. You can read more about Local Development Plans and the policies they should include here.
    
2. Check the weekly planning list. Every local planning authority publishes a weekly list of planning applications they have received on their website  (look under their planning section or search for ‘weekly planning list’). Here you can look for opportunities for biodiversity improvements, or potentially damaging development, and decide if you would like to write a planning response.
    
3. Talk to your community about planning.  Whether it’s telling your neighbours about a local planning application or writing to your local councilor or Assembly member about planning issues, the more people involved in planning, the better the outcomes for the local community.
    
4. Support your local Wildlife Trust. You can help us by signing petitions and writing letters when we respond to significant planning applications or proposed policy changes. You can also support our work by becoming a member.
    
5. Join #TeamWilder – a network of people taking action for nature. Team Wilder members support one another to bring about the change that nature needs.