Speaking during a parliamentary debate on World Biosphere Day (3 November), MP Bob Seely highlighted the importance of the Isle of Wight UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and called for increased landscape protection for the Island.
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.
He 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 said: “Seventy-five per cent 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.
“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.”
Bob went on to make some suggestions as to how the government could achieve this and made the case for an island designation – or island park - that could incorporate human habitation, maritime protection and landscape protection under one single designation.
“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.”
Speaking after the debate Bob said: “The Island gained UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status because of the wonderful ways we interact with our beautiful landscape.
“We need to protect our landscape and preserve it for future generations. One way we can achieve that is to have our landscape protected in UK Law.
“I have suggested ways government could do that and I will continue to have further conversations with ministers about it.”
