The Royal Society has responded to Defra’s Land Use consultation. This submission is based on both a roundtable discussion with Fellows and other scientists as part of Defra’s stakeholder engagement process, and also findings from the Royal Society’s Multifunctional Landscapes report, which recommended the development of a Land Use Framework to reconcile the competing demands placed on the UK’s land.
The Royal Society is highly supportive of the development of a Land Use Framework for England and the ambitions of the government to join up land use decision making in this regard. This consultation response and the comments within it are intended to add value to this very important policy innovation and are not intended as criticism of the fundamental proposition, which is positive and welcomed.