Bedfordshire’s natural environment is incredible and varied; from the breath-taking splendour of the Chilterns to the delicate heather-covered heaths of the Greensand Ridge, ancient and younger woodlands, meadows, parkland, rivers and lakes – we have it all!
But the local environment is much more than an attractive backdrop to where we live. As the Government’s 25-Year Strategy ‘A Green Future’ states: “The environment is life-giving. It nourishes and nurtures all life, human, animal or plant. We rely on our blue and green spaces for food, water and the air we breathe”.
To sustain these benefits and services provided by the natural environment we must ensure it is properly protected and improved to ensure the future prosperity and wellbeing of people and wildlife. The natural environment is under more pressure now than it has ever been, and we must do all we can to ensure decisions around growth and development are the right ones, based on the best information and with the protection and improvement of the environment at their heart.