Attempt to protect rare chalk streams in planning bill rejected by Labour MPs

The River Itchen chalk stream. England is home to 85% of the world’s 200 chalk streams. Photograph: Martin Godwin/The Guardian

A cross-party attempt to protect England’s rare and threatened chalk streams in the government’s planning bill was rejected by Labour on Wednesday.

The attempt to give the globally rare ecosystems the strongest protections as irreplaceable habitats failed after all the Labour MPs on the parliamentary committee examining the draft law rejected an amendment containing the extra provision.