A leading environmental think tank has criticised the government's Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill 2018 for not living up to current protections afforded by the EU. The Green Alliance claims that the proposals, which will be debated in Westminster next month, have too many get out clauses and will fail to hold government accountable for breaches of the law. For more details, click here.

All new developments in Wales of more than one dwelling, or where the construction area is 100m² or more, must now use sustainable drainage systems (SuDS).

In an effort which hopes to reduce surface-water flooding by an estimated 30%, developers will need to submit plans to ‘SuDS approving bodies’ (SABs) which will be set up within every local authority to oversee their installation. For more details, click here.

Children who grow up near green spaces may have greater spatial working memory, according to a new study. Regular exposure to nature appears to help children better recall spatial information such as objects, directions and places from their short-term memory. The paper’s authors suggest that the findings may be used to inform policy decisions about education and urban planning. For more details, click here.

A free Urban Tree Manual has been published by Forestry Commission England, providing guidance on how to choose ‘the right urban tree in the right place’. The manual includes information on life-cycle management, from procurement and tree selection through to retention and disease management. For more details, click here.

Sustain has published a guide to show how local authorities can take forward food growing in parks, using public assets to address local priorities. For more details, click here.

Public Health England has recommended that local authorities develop and promote a green infrastructure strategy in a bid to tackle childhood obesity. Published among a series of opportunities to promote healthy weights in children, young people and families, the document calls for open spaces to be made as accessible as possible and that parks achieve Green Flag awards to encourage usability. For more details, click here.