Welcome back to Engage from Delib.
With Earth Day just behind us, we’re taking you on a hike through the great outdoors in this month’s edition. We’ll be showcasing what our customers are doing to spark conversations around our relationship with nature, and how we can live more sustainably.
Whether it’s a new community woodland, a change to national energy policy, or the very air we breathe (and the rockets we might soon launch through it) – everyone has a say on how we shape the world around us. So, put on your walking boots and see how you can get involved!
Customer insights and inspiration:
Forestry England Seeks Community Input on New Woodland Plans
Since 2021, Forestry England has planted over 1.8 million trees in 16 new woodlands across the country. Now, plans have been revealed for their next project — a site in the Central Lincolnshire Vale which currently has only 8% woodland cover.
During this engagement phase, they’re hosting a Citizen Space consultation and a drop-in event to gather feedback. The ambition is to create a woodland design that serves both people and wildlife, and they know local residents have valuable evidence to bring to the table. Key areas for discussion include:
- Woodland composition: The mix of tree species to be planted, considering biodiversity, flood resilience, and future timber production.
- Public access and recreation: How best to integrate walking routes and other recreational opportunities, so they connect to existing rights of way.
- Integration with the existing landscape: How to sensitively develop the site, such as using open space buffers and mixed planting densities, to preserve the character of the area.
The online consultation closes on May 25th, 2025. Share your thoughts and help shape the future of this new woodland.
UK Government Consults on Updates to Energy National Policy Statements
The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero is currently reworking its National Policy Statements (NPSs) for energy infrastructure.
In the planning policy hierarchy, this guidance sits at the same level as the National Planning Policy Framework, meaning public bodies must give full weight to it when making planning decisions. So, even a minor change in the wording can have a big impact on what kinds of projects are green-lit or rejected.
Their consultation focuses on material updates to three key energy NPSs:
- EN-1 (Overarching Energy) — which sets the overall strategic direction for energy planning, covering all forms of electricity generation.
- EN-3 (Renewable Energy Infrastructure) — which relates primarily to wind, solar, and hydro power.
- EN-5 (Electricity Networks) — which deals with the wider electricity grid, including pylons, substations, and undersea cables.
These proposed changes aim to align the NPSs with the government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which targets 95% clean energy generation by 2030. And, since we’re dealing with energy production, these NPSs apply entirely to the bespoke Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIP) planning regime. If you’d like to learn more about how public engagement works with this kind of development, check out our long-read article on the topic.
Scottish Government Co-designs an Ecosystem Restoration Code
The Scottish Government, in partnership with NatureScot, is developing an Ecosystem Restoration Code (ERC) to encourage private investment in nature restoration and biodiversity projects across Scotland.
This framework means businesses with environmental obligations — such as private energy providers or housing developers — can easily invest into verified restoration projects, earning them tradable ‘nature credits’. It’s hoped this will be a simpler process with less paperwork and negotiation, meaning decisions such as planning applications can be made faster. Plus, we’ll all know for certain that the money is going towards a worthy cause.
The current engagement exercise represents the co-design phase of the ERC project. Conversations are ongoing with landowners, conservation organisations, community groups, and financial institutions actively involved in nature/biodiversity markets. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government is running a survey on Citizen Space to capture perspectives from the wider public.
Public Consulted on Environmental Effects of Space Launches from Shetland
The UK’s global space industry is on the cusp of taking off, with the first ever vertical orbital rocket launch in Western Europe expected later this year. Orbex, a UK-based aerospace company, recently applied for an operator license from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to conduct up to 10 launches per year from SaxaVord Spaceport in the Shetland Isles.
If successful, it would mean the UK gaining the capacity to launch British-made satellites into Low Earth Orbit. However, machines of this size carry huge risks — not only to human populations but also to the environment. As part of the licensing process, Orbex has submitted an Assessment of Environmental Effects (AEE) to the CAA, who are now consulting with the wider public about its potential effects.
Although the rockets would be launched over the North Sea, the CAA are appealing for evidence on risks to marine ecosystems, air and water quality, and noise levels. There’s also the question of mitigation and how the carbon emissions ought to be offset. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to have an opinion on this! Have your say by the 22nd May 2025.
Industry and legislative news:
England’s 12-week National Conversation on Land Use Comes to a Close
Back in January, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) launched a “national conversation” on land use in England — to understand how our geography is changing, where we’re headed, and what long-term decisions should be made today.
In a short video explainer, DEFRA put forward the story of our country’s land use so far. Two major events, the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution, meant that people moved to cities for new types of employment while rural land could be farmed more effectively. This radically changed the built and natural environments. Cities sprawled wider, new towns sprung from the ground, and motorways carved up the countryside; while the few remaining spots of wilderness shrank.
Now, DEFRA is looking ahead to the future. In their consultation document, they continue these trend lines to predict what England’s land use will look like in the years ahead. For example, they estimate that, by 2050, 1.1% of the country will be new urban extensions (if we build at a rate of 300K homes per year), and that 19% of existing agricultural land will change use. In most cases, these would be small changes, like incorporating more trees alongside food production or adding natural flood defences. However, they also have a vision for large-scale nature restoration, such as new woodlands, peat bogs, and coastal habitats.
As a higher-level spatial analysis, the land use conversation isn’t looking at specific sites but rather at principles which should underpin wider planning policies. That means these findings are likely to influence future iterations of the National Planning Policy Framework and Nationally-Significant Infrastructure Projects. A key priority is to move towards multifunctional land, similar to the Garden City movement that advocated bringing residential areas and nature together.
What’s important is that there’s clarity and a long-term strategy in place. On top of this, DEFRA is committed to co-designing the plans with communities. In particular, they want farmers to share their opinions and help identify land that should be protected solely for food production. To engage with the public, DEFRA chose Citizen Space to run their digital consultation, while also holding Minister-led roundtables and workshops across every region of England. The Land Use Framework will be published later this year, and will take on board the valuable advice left by advocacy groups and the public. We’ll keep you updated when it goes live.