Recommendation 7. Responsible authorities should take greater steps to reconnect people to nature by enhancing ecological networks within urban environments, including wildlife-friendly management of green spaces, and by embedding biodiversity considerations in the need to adapt to climate change.
"Making space for nature" is an important report published today by a committee chaired by Prof Sir John Lawton on the state of England's nature reserves. Described as"An independent review of Englands wildlife sites and the connections between them with recommendations to help achieve a healthy natural environment that will allow our plants and animals to thrive" - but The Guardian makes the point that the report says that the 3 tiers of nature reserves - SSSIs, local wildlife sites (SBIs) and National Parks/AONBs are failing to protect wildlife in 4 of 5 benchmarks, 77% of SSSIs are too small, wildlife corridors between them are not being protected, and SBIs and NP/AOBs are inadequately protected and poorly managed. Wildlife sites are not close enough to urban areas. This report, comissioned by Hilary Benn last year, will be an important influence in the forthcoming Natural Environment White Paper - the first for 20 years- to be published next year. The whole report can be found by typing the title with the word Lawton into Google.
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Judith Smith
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Lightshaw hall Flash is sacrosanct - NO paths please!
