We live in a time of climate crisis and ecological emergency. The UK is among the most nature-depleted countries in the world. There are many reasons for this, but our long history of industrial and urban development is one of them. Badly planned development, from roads to housing, is still causing major problems for wildlife. We have to plan better and more in harmony with nature. Planning for Nature tells the story of planning battles to save special places for nature, to inspire people who want to protect such sites from bad development.

Drawing on the author’s extensive personal experience and on interviews with planners and conservationists at the front line, the book focuses on planning battles in the UK since around the turn of the millennium, particularly how the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, other wildlife bodies and local communities have fought development proposals which would harm some of our most important wildlife sites. Case studies cover many different types of development, from airports to housing, windfarms to golf courses, across every part of the UK.

Planning for Nature recounts battles won and lost but also imagines a better future for planning and nature. Along the way it reflects on why high-quality habitats are so important, and considers key principles of good planning for nature. There are hints and tips for campaigners who love nature and want to protect important places from the dangers of bad development.