Tightening the Green Belt? Labour, Housing and Biodiversity


We are hosting the seminar at Jesus College, Ship Street Centre, Oxford, OX1 3DW, in the Lecture Theatre. If you have any difficulty finding the venue, please first locate Ship Street. Look for the restaurant named "No.1 Ship Street", the entrance to the centre is immediately to the left of the restaurant. Don’t hesitate to enter; a member of our team will be there to greet you at the door. Once inside, please walk to your right and continue straight to the very end of the corridor—the Lecture Theatre is located there.

Labour’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill introduces the concept of a “grey belt,” aiming to reclassify certain Green Belt areas to facilitate housing development.
While intended to address housing shortages, these reforms have raised concerns about potential impacts on biodiversity.
Wildlife organisations highlight that the bill could weaken protections for species such as newts, bats, beavers, dormice, and otters. Additionally, the proposed “nature restoration levy” may allow developers to offset environmental obligations through payments, potentially undermining the mitigation hierarchy and the polluter pays principle.
This seminar will explore the implications of these reforms on biodiversity and discuss strategies to balance housing needs with environmental conservation.