The stakes are high for the Land Use Framework – Inside track

This post is by Hilary McGrady, director general at the National Trust.

“Land is not made by any man, but exists in a limited quantity.” Those were the words of Robert Hunter, one of the founders of the National Trust, who fought to protect open spaces for the nation, driven by his upbringing during the rapid transformation of London.

Today, even more so than in Hunter’s time, the competing pressures on land are abundantly clear. New homes, infrastructure, food production, green energy, recreation and nature all need somewhere to go, and that’s a lot to pack into these small isles.

And we’re running out of time to do it. Global heating is nudging 1.6 degrees Celsius, wildlife populations are plummeting, local green space is non-existent for 38 per cent of people in England and homelessness is on the rise. Put simply, we have finite time to make a difference and finite space within which to do it.

All of that makes a compelling case for a long term plan for what we do with land in the UK. Today, the government begins a consultation into its much anticipated Land Use Framework, and we, like many other landowners and policymakers, will be scrutinising the specifics.

Understandably, concerns have been raised over space for food production. We will always need land for healthy, homegrown food and the government has explicitly said it won’t undermine food production in any changes, which is welcome news.  There’s also an opportunity here. By providing room for nature, we get better resilience to climate shocks, more insects to pollinate our crops and ultimately, more productive and sustainable land.

But environmental incentives for farmers have been slow to materialise and many have been stuck in limbo. So the government must be generous in its support, recognising farmers’ ability to create long term change.

What’s more, this can’t simply be about targets. Human needs must be intrinsic to the choices we make about land.  Access to green space, heritage, healthy food and places to live, must all be part of the jigsaw. Decisions should be made based on what the land is best suited for.

Lastly, this framework must provide a clear vision across the whole of government. For too long, land has been treated as piecemeal, earmarked for speculative development or carved up with no long term plan. A well thought out land use framework must work in hand with the planning system to create thriving, sustainable places.

Just as in Hunter’s time, land has always been contested. Everyone will have a view on this framework and we at the National Trust will be poring over the detail alongside others. But whatever our view, we all have to take the opportunity to engage. There is too much at stake to get this wrong.