UNPRECEDENTED NATIONAL DAY OF COMMUNITY ACTION FOR NATURE, PARKS & GREEN SPACES, - SATURDAY 18TH APRIL 2026

Hands off our green spaces, say hundreds of groups nationwide, calling for government to 'stop the deregulation agenda'.

Protect Audley Parish Greenbelt (PAPG) campaign group is joining this unprecedented national community day of action for nature, parks and green spaces on 18^th April, 9:30-12:30.

170 groups (so far) are coming together all over the country 19 days before local elections in a spectacular show of unity for the natural world.

These groups are staging events that celebrate, protect, and champion the green spaces people love. Activities range from human chains linking villages along cherished green-belt corridors, wildlife walks, wildflower planting sessions, photo exhibitions, and community litter picks, through to talks by leading environmental figures including Sally Hayns, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management, and Richard Negus, celebrated author of Words from the Hedge. Families will plant trees, make wildflower seed bombs, build bug hotels, and join nature trails, while sponsored walks, barn dances, silent discos and open days will send a message to politicians that nature, parks and green spaces should not be destroyed by development of any kind. Groups campaigning to save green-belt land, ancient meadows, and irreplaceable habitats will stand alongside friends-of-parks organisations, community gardeners, and neighbourhood volunteers. They stand together to say that they do not accept a deregulation agenda that puts short-term development ahead of the living landscapes on which health, wellbeing, and the future of wildlife depend.

In the parish of Audley, we are confronted with a programme of overdevelopment through the compilation of an emerging Local Plan, authored by Newcastle under Lyme Borough Council who, by a majority, are unsympathetic to the wishes of its residents. The Local Plan for the Audley area includes a 200-acre strategic employment site consisting mainly of warehouses and other logistics infrastructure. Located on greenbelt immediately southeast of junction 16 of the M6 motorway, this development, if allowed, would devastate the rural environment with Audley at its heart. For this and other reasons, in January 2022 we set up our campaign group "Protect Audley Parish Greenbelt" (PAPG). As part of the same Local Plan, Audley was also facing three housing developments totalling 213 new homes all situated in the greenbelt.

Partly due to our campaign, during examination by a government appointed planning inspector, two of the proposed housing developments have been removed, reducing the housing requirement from 213 to 33. The strategic logistics site however, is still under consideration but faces many obstacles, not least of which is the increased level of traffic by 5000 vehicles per day. Much of this traffic would be diverted through villages and single lane country roads when the local A500 trunk road is overloaded. A situation that occurs regularly.

On top of that, the national situation is no better. The current government is set on a campaign of significant deregulation, threatening the living landscape that sustains us. They ignore the one million unbuilt permissions. They ignore the brownfield sites, which could accommodate 1.4 million new homes. They ignore the empty homes and commercial buildings many of which could be repurposed. Above all, they intentionally refuse to acknowledge the UK's housing surplus, which is conservatively estimated at 1.6 million homes. This is why PAPG will be enthusiastically taking part in the national day of action on the 18^th April.

For me personally, I have one message for decision makers at all levels:

"Every acre of green space developed reduces the population the UK can support by one."

Below are a series of other quotes from the heads of well-known environmental organisations:

"Our green spaces are under unprecedented pressure due to this Government's deregulation agenda. This huge and unprecedented national day of action shows that communities everywhere are ready to stand up for the places that matter to them — for health, for wildlife, for heritage, for food, and for future generations. It is time for politicians to see how much they matter to voters. We urge people to join us." Rosie Pearson, Chairman, the Community Planning Alliance (CPA) www.communityplanningalliance.org.

"There is overwhelming evidence about the value of nature and green space to people's physical and mental wellbeing, as well as to a thriving economy. Yet time and time again we see politicians of all parties deride its importance to our communities. This Day of Action is an opportunity to bring people together in activities to celebrate and protect what we have and demonstrate to decision-makers why we look to them to protect and improve it." Sally Hayns, Chief Executive Officer, the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management (CIEEM).

"People's access to nature has never been more important for their health and well-being, but also never been more under threat - from lack of effective protection and adequate resources to be properly maintained. It's no wonder that thousands of local groups have sprung up in the last 25 years to help champion, maintain and protect the green spaces they love. We call on candidates and parties standing for election in all tiers of Government to publicly commit to ensuring all such spaces will be valued and safeguarded for generations to come." Dave Morris - Chair, National Federation of Parks and Green Spaces (NFPGS).

"Badgers are still among the most persecuted native wild animals, and the new planning and infrastructure bill now puts their hard-won protection at risk. That is why Badger Trust is joining a wide range of wildlife, nature, and community groups for a National Day of Action on 18 April. Together, we want to show MPs, Councillors and candidates that protecting nature and wildlife matters to voters ahead of next month's elections." Nigel Palmer, The Badger Trust.

"Despite months of negative rhetoric about our wildlife, the truth is that nature continues to inspire, sustain, and unite us. We want communities to come together in a Day of Action to show local and national decision makers that nature matters." Kit Stoner, Chief Executive, Bat Conservation Trust.

Please come and join us.

Saturday 18th April 2026.

Nationwide events — including Audley Parish, Halmer End Institute, Wesley Place, ST78AQ 9:30–12:30.

Jim Austin, Vice Chair PAPG, [email protected]

For general enquiries: [email protected]

For national enquiries: Rosie Pearson, [email protected]