Chancellor says 20,000 homes were being held up due to ‘some snails that are a protected species or something’ Rachel Reeves unblocked a development of 20,000 homes that were being held up by a rare snail, after being approached by a developer with whom she said, “we have a good relationship”. The government has been working on planning reforms that nature experts say put wildlife at risk. The reforms could include discarding the EU-derived habitats regulations that protect rare animals, and adding more pro-building amendments to the planning and infrastructure bill, which is going through parliament. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Chancellor says 20,000 homes were being held up due to ‘some snails that are a protected species or something’

Exclusive: Chancellor says 20,000 homes were being held up due to ‘some snails that are a protected species or something’

Correctly communicating peatland hydrology.

Exclusive: One option could be to leave treaty that allows legal claims against projects such as Heathrow expansion

EU officials warn climate breakdown and wildlife loss ‘are ruining ecosystems that underpin the economy’

Their colonies in the Antarctic are endangered and numbers have plummeted. Tom Whipple meets the scientist warning of the crisis looming for the emperor penguin

Exclusive: Officials say they have been told to do as little as legally possible to prevent approvals for housebuilding

Emma Reynolds has become the tenth UK environment secretary in a decade, joining the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) at a critical time for environmental protection. She won’t be short of advice as her officials navigate a lengthy submissions queue and journalists speculate on the reason for her appointment and her priorities.