Speaking during a parliamentary debate on World Biosphere Day, Island MP Bob Seely highlighted the importance of the Isle of Wight UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and called for increased landscape protection for the Island.
Bob addressed the house last Thursday (3rd November).
Mr Seely began his speech in the House of Commons by publicly thanking the team who worked on the successful bid for the Isle of Wight UNESCO Biosphere Reserve prior to it being awarded in 2019.
Bob said:
“I thank Joel Bateman, Councillor Jonathan Bacon and, more recently, Holly Jones and Natasha Dix for their impressive work in delivering that successful bid to UNESCO and since.”
Bob went on to make the case for biospheres, such as the Island’s, to be recognised in UK law and given increased levels of landscape protection.
He added:
“75% of the Isle of Wight comes under some form of UK designation: there are eight separate designations and 13 distinct areas. For an Island of our size that is highly fragmented and somewhat over-complex, and creates a needless bureaucracy when it comes to nature protection and planning.
Article continues below this advertisement “I would love to know how the Government could incorporate and recognise biospheres within UK law. At the moment, we have a tapestry on the Island, but we need a blanket, which is the idea that the biosphere gives.”
“I would argue that an island park designation for the Isle of Wight would have AONB status throughout. We have only a finite amount of land and we cannot keep giving it up endlessly to low-density, car-dependent, un-environmentally friendly greenfield developments; we need to use land better.
“We could have maritime and landscape protection, as highlighted by my hon. Friend, and we could use the island park designation to attract tourism and help with our identity, as the biosphere potentially does.”
Old news, but surely good to know that our representative considers it good use of his (our) time to address an audience of 3 without being able to state clearly what he is suggesting or asking for.
Still, he got to claim his allowances.
Useless.
Just because only you say 3 in the house it all gets reported for Ministers to read or be advised on. If Mr Seely didn’t try you would moan then.
Well done Bob, laser focussed as always on the serious island issues .. and to huge audience of 3 .. your worth every penny !!
Still happy to allow our sh!t to be dumped in the sea though, without bringing water companies to account. Useless half a sausage.
Maybe we could just have Greenfield?????
We don’t want to live in a concrete jungle ,,,,,,
We want flora and fauna ….
Children growing up with countryside, ….
Not rabbit hutches/ guinea pig hutches……
We want Dr’s Dentists etc …
Infrastructure Infrastructure…..
We used to have doctors who come to our home, now we can’t even see them at the practice.
We used to have enough council homes for the poor, now we can’t even private rent a home
We used to have honest neighbourhoods, now everything is locked or stolen
We used to be able to walk the streets safely at night, now even daytime we are at risk.
We used to be able to be cared for at the Hospital, now we die in waiting.
We used to have mostly British people here, now that is no longer the case
We used to believe in coincidences, now I am not so sure.