Lost Nature Hub

In December 2024, two members of our project team, Dr Kiera Chapman and Professor Malcolm Tait, published the Lost Nature report. It revealed the results of an audit they had conducted, with co-author Sarah Postlethwaite, on 42 housing estates across England. 

The findings were shocking: about half of the ecological features that developers had committed to provide for wildlife were missing. The report helped to stimulate a national conversation about the lack of enforcement of planning conditions.

As well as the Lost Nature report, the authors have now produced two guides to allow ordinary people to hold developers to account in their own areas. 

Accessing planning data: a guide explains how to obtain the necessary documents from planning portals. 

How to audit a new build housing development outlines how to conduct a rigorous audit.

We would love to hear from anyone who has used these to audit developments in their own area.