Developers can pay to rip up nature

Developers can pay to rip up nature
The Times reports that Britain's nature reserves, woodlands and meadows could be ripped up by developers - provided they put aside money to create new habitats under a Government scheme to put a value on wildlife. The scheme is being championed by Owen Paterson, the Environment Secretary, whose department, Defra, is planning trials in Essex, Warwickshire, Norwich, Devon, Doncaster and Nottingham. He said: "We shouldn't need to choose between either improving the environment or growing the economy. We should aim to have both, which is why I'm keen to see the results of these trials." It is noted that any developer seeking planning permission would have to measure how much of each habitat and species their scheme would destroy. The results would then be used to work out the total conservation credit value for the site. The developer would then have to give that money to a "conservation" broker who would use it to buy nearby land to recreate whatever had been destroyed.