Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans his Department has for preserving ancient woodland.

The Government is committed to ensuring stronger protection for our ancient woodlands. The irreplaceable nature of ancient woodlands and their value is recognised in the National Planning Policy Framework.

Paragraph 118 of the National Planning Policy Framework states that “planning permission should be refused for development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats, including ancient woodland and the loss of aged or veteran trees found outside ancient woodland, unless the need for, and benefits of, the development in that location clearly outweigh the loss.”