The chalk streams of England, particularly the River Itchen, are precious and rare ecosystems, hosting diverse wildlife like otters and salmon. Despite housing many unique species, they lack strong legal protections. New planning proposals from the Labour party could permit developers to desecrate these habitats while compensating through funding for nature restoration elsewhere. Environmentalists argue that such offsets cannot replace the specific ecological value of the chalk streams. Current protections derived from EU directives are at risk, jeopardizing these fragile and vital habitats.
"Chalk streams are an irreplaceable habitat. They are incredibly fragile and incredibly rare, but we suck up our drinking water from them and dump our sewage in them," said Debbie Tann.
"I think the levy is almost designed to create a replacement or an alternative habitat somewhere else for the thing that you're impacting. That isn't going to work in a chalk stream context," Tann elaborated.
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