Report & Comment

Our changing climate is the biggest and most urgent problem we all face. It is the perennial elephant in the room when any other important concerns are discussed. If food and housing for humans or the natural environment are under discussion, it is the first threat. Great efforts to plan for its mitigation have been proposed and discussed, but they are constantly being watered down or just filed and forgotten as those with vested interests in the most damaging materials and methods put pressure to bear. We at the grass roots look about bewildered, asking, ‘What can we do?’ We must do anything at all that helps, from the smallest efforts at home to campaigning for action by those with

Both government and the public agree that we must combat climate change by rapidly building more new renewables – solar farms, wind turbines, battery storage etc. The tricky questions are where to put them, and how to select the best trade-off between their visual impact and the necessity to protect our vital agriculture and landscapes, as well as other commercial interests. Development has been rapid. First, before 2010, came more onshore wind applications, then solar and offshore wind from about 2012. There was a short pause between 2015 and 2018 as conservationists objected. Finally the upsurge exploded as the climate threat clarified, the government responded and then entrepreneurs pounced. These renewables now usually complement each other – for instance, in

These are vital issues for the wellbeing of the planet and of us. Raising awareness and campaigning on them at every opportunity is a central aim for CPRE. In general, people are in favour of conservation with its corollary biodiversity and since the first decade or so of the 21st century the terms have become closely mixed in with the language of other big ‘green’ issues around climate change. There is an obvious overlap with the big Climate Change problem of how to capture more carbon through woods, wetlands and peat. The care of our natural world and the myriad lives lived in it have become important to a great many people – one could almost say ‘most people’ –

Two major Mandatory Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) requirements have been adopted by Cornwall Council. It has been a leader in implementing BNG, mandating a minimum of a 10% net gain for all major planning applications since 2020, ahead of the national requirement. This was extended to minor developments in 2024. In 2023 The Climate Emergency Development Plan Document (DPD) which implements important measures for bio-diversity was adopted. These measures aim to restore natural habitat while addressing climate change and loss of ecology. This is a stand-alone adopted document and should be considered in planning decisions regardless of the out-of- date Local Plan. The document can be found on the Cornwall Council website under Climate Emergency Development Plan Document. Conservation Measures:Green