Why ‘land use’ should be a priority for the new government

How we use land in the future and how to use it well may become the defining questions of the next decade.

This may seem far-fetched at a moment when we are faced by challenges such as war, a cost of living crisis, rising national debt, fears around the nation’s physical and mental health and a worsening climate emergency. In this context, what justifies pushing land use to the top of our list of priorities and what should the next government do?

Land and its many critical functions is one of, if not the most vital, resource we have. Yet the limits to the demands we can place on it are quickly becoming obvious. Soils are perilously degraded, rivers polluted, nature fragmented and wildlife is in general decline. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries on the planet, according to researchers at the Natural History Museum. In our complex and long industrialised economy, we seem to have largely forgotten how intimately we rely on healthy land and the natural services it provides us.

A changing climate is making nature and the natural systems we rely on look ever more fragile as they are stress tested by drought, storm, fire and flood. This complex picture is more challenging when we recognise that the answers to so many of these issues require more land: to help nature recover, to lock up carbon, to farm it in sustainable ways to secure food production for the long term, to replenish our water supplies and better manage the water we get as rain. Add to all that, the housing crisis and the urgent need to build more homes on land where people want to live, in inclusive, sustainable communities.

The evidence tells us that we need to plan land use in ways we’ve never had to before. Future demands on land will include meeting our current needs in new ways that may require more land—without relying on fossil fuels. This includes generating green electricity, growing crops for natural fertilisers, and producing sustainable materials for packaging and construction.

We need to see a long term, holistic approach

It is clear to CPRE that current policy is failing to match up to the enormity of this land challenge. The current government promised a ‘land use framework’ to coordinate efforts across Whitehall, Westminster, and beyond. However, this plan was cut short by the general election. Now, we need the next government to commit to a long-term strategic vision for land use in England—one that ensures we use land more wisely to meet our diverse needs.

It should draw on the evidence of current pressures on land and, importantly, consider future threats and challenges that could drastically change how and where land can be used. Most importantly, it must integrate all available policy tools, financial incentives, and technologies to promote smarter, more sustainable use of this critical resource.

For any new vision and strategy for land use to be credible, it must include two key elements. First, it should focus on how land can provide multiple benefits—not just producing food but also restoring nature, storing carbon, offering space for homes, capturing rainwater, and generating rooftop electricity. Second, it must ensure meaningful engagement with local people, authorities, and businesses. By involving these groups in land-use decisions, we can foster collaborative planning that balances local and national needs for the critical years ahead.