THE chief executive of the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) has said she ‘broadly welcomes’ the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan announced last week but also warned that ‘the lack of legal underpinning’ was potentially a fundamental flaw in the proposals.

The Government plan includes a ‘nature recovery network’, providing 500,000 hectares across the UK of additional wildlife habitats, especially wildflower meadows, grasslands and heathlands, which could be linked to urban areas through green infrastructure networks.

Estelle Bailey said: “BBOWT is already creating more living landscape areas in our three counties, where we are linking existing nature reserves with other protected sites as well as urban green and blue infrastructure.

“We must ensure that we include the areas where most people live.

“Access to nature and inspiring wildlife experiences should be a normal feature of everyday life, especially in towns and cities.

“The trust would like to have seen how Government will develop the nature recovery plans and how they can be implemented locally in partnership with local authorities.”