Defra has outlined its proposals for a controversial biodiversity offsetting scheme.
Under biodiversity offsetting, Builders and developers will be given permission to construct new housing schemes if they offset its impact by paying for local conservation projects.
Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson, said: "Offsetting is an exciting opportunity to look at how we can improve the environment as well as grow the economy,
"We want to hear from developer and wildlife groups alike on how we can simplify the existing planning process while enhancing our natural environment.
"There is no reason why wildlife and development can't flourish side by side."
Biodiversity offsetting was one of the priority recommendations made in the Ecosystems Market Task Force report, ‘Realising Nature’s Value’, which was published in March 2013.
The report proposed a number of new actions including biodiversity offsetting as a means of tackling biodiversity loss and achieving economic growth. The Task Force, a group of business leaders chaired by Ian Cheshire, Chief Executive Officer of Kingfisher, described biodiversity offsetting as an initiative which would achieve a “net gain for nature”.
The Task Force was set up as a result of a Natural Environment White Paper commitment and reviewed the opportunities available to UK business that could help them develop green goods, services, investment vehicles and markets which value and protect the environment.
Critics of the scheme sat that the proposal is little more than a license to trash the countryside.
Defra has published a green paper on the scheme.
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