Trinity Leeds owner Landsec calls for nature to be at the heart of UK city planning

Landsec, the owner of White Rose Shopping Centre and Trinity Leeds, is calling for nature and biodiversity to be at the heart of UK city planning if they are to remain desirable places for people to live and work.

Research conducted by Landsec revealed that over half (55 per cent) of people living and working in UK cities plan to leave in the future, with more access to nature and green space cited as the top reason.

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The polling of over 1,200 people across Leeds, London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, and Cardiff, revealed that expectations people have of what cities should provide for them has risen since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Almost four in 10 respondents (39 per cent) named inclusion of green space and more trees, plants and wildlife as the biggest priority for developers in new building developments.

Trinity Leeds owner Landsec has launched a new nature strategy, which aims to improve nature and biodiversity in cities and urban places.Trinity Leeds owner Landsec has launched a new nature strategy, which aims to improve nature and biodiversity in cities and urban places.
Trinity Leeds owner Landsec has launched a new nature strategy, which aims to improve nature and biodiversity in cities and urban places.

The research comes as Landsec launches a new nature strategy that aims to improve biodiversity, promote health and wellbeing, and create nature-based solutions to help meet net zero ambitions.

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Jennie Colville, Landsec head of sustainability, said: “The quality and amount of nature in urban places has been neglected in recent years.”

She added: “To build the cities we need for the future, we must change our approach to urbanisation in a way that enables people and nature to co-exist, while creating jobs and fuelling economic growth.”

Current government guidelines require developers to provide 10 per cent biodiversity net gain (BNG) on all habitats within the redline boundary of their development.

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For existing assets, Landsec has committed an additional 10 per cent increase to its existing BNG targets, while for future developments Landsec will aim to make a 20 per cent BNG on sites with existing ‘greening’ and ensure the development of two biodiversity units per hectare for sites with ‘no greening’.