24/01/22 PRESS RELEASE: BIN THE BULLDOZER BILL: HUNDREDS TO RALLY THIS SUNDAY TO URGE NEWARK MP ROBERT JENRICK TO BIN 'ENVIRONMENTALLY HARMFUL' LEGISLATION
This Sunday, hundreds of residents will call upon Newark MP, Robert Jenrick, to demand our Government withdraw the retained EU law bill - also known as the ‘wrecking bill’ - which currently protects places like Sherwood Forest and wildlife including otters, dolphins and peregrines.
Organised by the local community group, Protect Newark’s Green Spaces (PNGS), a peaceful rally will be taking place on Sunday 29 January and is being supported by residents and other local campaign groups including The Woodland Trust, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and Saving Wildlife and Nature (SWAN), Extinction Rebellion and LASSIPCO (Lilley & Stone campaign).
With over 1,000 laws protecting nature and wildlife at risk, including precious places such as ancient woodlands, along with endangering vulnerable animals, possibly increasing sewage disposal on our rivers and coastlines and more use of pesticides, PNGS is encouraging locals to join the event to show solidarity against this ‘attack on nature’.
“At the end of 2023, protections for some of the UK’s most important wildlife sites are due to be removed according to the Government’s EU Laws Bill, with still no details on what will take their place,” says Adam Cormack, Head of Campaigning at The Woodland Trust.
“The main place currently protected by these laws in Nottinghamshire is Sherwood Forest. Local people must understand what is at stake here. We encourage everyone to come along to the rally this Sunday so they can understand more about what is happening and what local treasures are at threat.”
The event will start with a peaceful rally and pass some of Newark’s valuable green spaces at threat. The walk will end at the YMCA Newark and Sherwood - home to the office of Newark MP, Robert Jenrick, where hundreds will be urging him to call for the Bill to be withdrawn.
You can join the rally from two meeting points:
Newark at 1 pm. Newark Library Garden, London Road Car Park. Route via Lilley & Stone to the YMCA building.
Balderton at 1.30 pm. Heron Way Car Park. Route via Balderton Lake to the YMCA building.
From 2 pm, key speeches will be delivered by Paul Wilkinson - Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s CEO and speakers from the Woodland Trust, Newark & Sherwood XR & PNGS.
Banners, placards, whistles and drums are welcome and this is a family-friendly event. PNGS aims to fill special postbags with children’s posters and artwork, whilst copies of an open letter to the MP will be available to sign on the day. The postbags will be handed into Robert Jenrick’s office as the rally finale.
“With the Retained EU Law Bill going through its final stages in the House of Commons, this is a crucial moment to support,” says Emma Oldham, PNGS campaigner. “Nottinghamshire is suffering from a nature and climate emergency and the UK is currently one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. To save Britain’s wildlife, MPs must kill this bill. Please join us to demand that our local MP calls for a withdrawal of this harmful legislation immediately.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITOR:
Figures released by environmental organisations reveal that the economic costs of removing or weakening laws in just four of the areas covered by the REUL Bill could reach £82.94bn over thirty years. These high figures come from the damage that could be caused in areas including the health impacts of poorer air and water quality and loss of recycling business opportunities due to weaker chemical regulations.
Weakening of Habitats and Species Regulations could open up important nature sites, including Ashdown Forest and Dogger Bank, to unsustainable development projects – putting species including bats, otters and puffins at risk.
Less healthy seas as a result of weakening Marine Strategy Regulations, which could lead to a decline in habitats including seagrass meadows and saltmarshes (vital carbon stores for reaching net zero) and impact the recovery of species including puffins.
Weakening the Plant Protection Products Regulations would lead to less stringent tests for pesticides before they are authorised for use in the UK, opening the door to more dangerous products in our fields, and ultimately our food and bringing back chemicals that have already been banned. Pesticide pollution can devastate habitats like chalk streams, soil health, and pollinator populations.
Invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed and Quagga Mussels already cost the UK economy £1.7bn a year. Weakening current regulations on invasive species could cost a further £1bn just from the impacts of pests and diseases threatening UK trees, with millions of trees being lost. Other UK species particularly vulnerable to invasives include water voles and common earthworms.
