Date: 28th August 2014

Dear Liz,

I am writing to you about the National Pollinator Strategy (NPS), which is due to be released in October 2014. While containing positive measures, I am concerned that key changes are still needed on farming, pesticides and land use in order to start reversing bee decline, and to make the strategy as effective as possible.

In my opinion, the NPS is still too vague about the role developers will play in protecting bee habitats and making developments bee friendly, how farming will increase its existing role and how pesticides will be reduced and farmers given alternative ways to protect crops from genuine pests. The final NPS should provide developers, land managers and farmers with proper guidance about how they can protect existing bee habitats as part of sustainable development requirements.

Friends of the Earth have made the following recommendations for improvements to the NPS:

- The Department for Communities and Local Government should develop best practice guidance for bees and other pollinators in its Planning Practice Guidance on the Natural Environment and ensure that Local Plans by local planning bodies support the Government’s aim to deliver gains for nature. 

- Defra should increase protection for remaining bee habitat such as wildflower meadows, for example by designating more meadows as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

- Bee-friendly farming should be made compulsory. To ensure the countryside and farmed environment are safe settings for pollinators and help farming play a full and central role in their recovery.

I have attached a briefing from Friends of the Earth which sets out more detail on the key recommendations, which I strongly believe should be made in order to reverse the decline in bee and pollinator populations.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter.

Yours sincerely,