Reviews

• If you care about nature, you need to care about planning. Simon is expert in both. This book provides critical insights of planning successes and failures and as such is essential reading for planners and conservationists alike.
  —Darren Moorcroft, Chief Executive, The Woodland Trust
• This is a brilliant book – precise, personal and inspiring. The lessons Marsh draws from his case studies should be engraved on every decision-maker’s desk. His advice on how to get involved in nature-positive planning is a reminder that we must all help design a nature-rich future. He mentions his childhood plans for a fictional land of “Simonia”. If it followed the principles in this book, it would surely be a great place to live.
  —Richard Benwell, Chief Executive, Wildlife and Countryside Link
• As Simon Marsh acknowledges, planning isn’t rocket science. But, as he clearly illustrates through case studies, planning is important. Too often the system is criticised for being slow and anyone raising concerns is simply dismissed as anti-development. This insightful, compelling and topical book highlights the power of the planning process, and charity and local campaigning and expertise within that, in preventing or often improving development schemes so that nature can be protected.
  —Fiona Howie, Chief Executive, Town and Country Planning Association
• This important book looks at planning cases that threaten our most valuable natural areas. It exposes a major unfairness in our planning system: developers need only to win approval once to permanently change a landscape, but those fighting to protect the environment must win every single time. They have to defeat the original application, any appeals, new proposals, and endless changes to plans – and if they lose just once, the damage is done forever. Because communities and environmental groups can’t appeal planning decisions the same way developers can, the system is heavily weighted against protecting nature. Every case in this book shows the constant effort needed to defend places that can never be replaced once they’re destroyed. This book is both a practical guide and a wake-up call – it reminds us that when quick profits compete with protecting our environment for the future, the fight shouldn’t be so one-sided.
  —Craig Macadam, Co-Leader and Director of Conservation, Buglife – The Invertebrate Conservation Trust
• A fascinating and personal reflection on how planning ambition and wildlife conservation meet in planning decisions, whether this is regarding major projects, housing schemes or planning policy. Simon has drawn together reflections in a clear and readable manner to create a book that is accessible to planners and non-planners to enjoy and learn from.
  —Steve Quartermain, former Chief Planner, Department of Communities and Local Government
• If knowledge is power, then Planning for Nature is essential reading for anyone trying to protect precious green spaces for wildlife.
  —Donna Zimmer, wildlife campaigner
• This book shines a light on the people who care so passionately about our natural environment and are driven, in many cases, to volunteer their own time, not looking at the wildlife they adore, but trawling though reams of unfamiliar planning documents in order to defend it at all costs. But it also provides hope and guidance that sometimes we can plan and do better for wildlife, not for it to be seen as a chokehold on progress, but to make things better for people, and sometimes, all be it rare, sense prevails and wildlife is given the protection it deserves.
  —Gemma Bodé, Head of Nature Recovery, Gwent Wildlife Trust
• Simon Marsh’s book shares the good, bad and the ugly stories from his distinguished career. It’s wonderfully readable, and full of empowering advice for how to get the best outcome for wildlife and wisdom on how the system can be better. A must read for all communities campaigning to protect their cherished green space. And for Cabinet Ministers who need to understand how restoring nature and delivering development can go hand in hand!
  —Katie-jo Luxton, Executive Director, Global Conservation, RSPB
• If we truly want to live in a nature-rich society – and we should, for the sake of our health and wellbeing – our planning system must become far more strategic and nature-positive, giving back more than it takes from the natural world. This book is both a warning and an inspiring guide to how we might get there.
  —Debbie Tann MBE, Chief Executive of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust