UK government putting pressure on nature groups to drop opposition to planning bill

Exclusive: Officials offering to amend bill if wildlife organisations stop campaigning against plans

The government is putting pressure on wildlife organisations to drop their opposition to its planning bill, the Guardian has learned.

Some of Britain's biggest nature charities including the RSPB, Wildlife Trusts and the National Trust say the legislation risks widespread destruction of nature. The charities want a key section of the legislation, part 3, scrapped entirely because they say it is a licence to kill nature".