Planning for the Planet
Local councils have the power to support nature friendly farming, reduce their exposure to legal risk and protect wildlife and rivers through planning.
Factory farms are having a serious impact on local environments, particularly rivers. They are also becoming a legal liability for councils. Recent decisions in the courts have set the precedent for closer management of factory farms, especially in planning decisions. Policy and practice are the best ways to manage this legal risk.
Planning for the Planet is a network of places using local planning policy to create a sustainable, local food and farming system that reduces council's exposure to legal risk and is better for farmers, communities and the local economy.
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What’s the problem?
We need good planning policy for food and farming now. Industrial livestock ‘megafarms’ are on the rise in the UK. They are polluting our rivers and air, causing nuisance and harming other rural businesses.
Councils also have new responsibilities to reverse biodiversity decline, tackle pollution and address the climate emergency.
Local planning policy can support small scale and nature-friendly farming, to benefit local wildlife and create more and better jobs.
Therefore, we believe all UK councils should have clear planning policy for food and farming, appropriate to the needs and opportunities of your area.
What is Planning for the Planet?
Joining Planning for the Planet gives your council access to our online resources and expert support. To join, councils are asked to commit to implementing planning policy that reduces river pollution and is appropriate for their area.
Sustain has developed a process for aiding the development of policy that is recommended, but not mandatory:
- Assess the impact of intensive livestock production in your area on rivers, wildlife and the economy. We provide a template self-assessment, and you should publish this publicly.
- Adopt planning policies that are right for your area. Assess the policy solutions best for your council, considering the impact that industrial livestock production is having now, your biodiversity and climate commitments, and the status of your air and water, and put this policy into place.
- Influence wider progress by supporting our calls for better planning and farming policy across the UK.
Sustain supports nature-friendly farming and great local food. Find out more about Sustain’s farming work, including supply-chain fairness and supporting peri-urban farming.
