The Green Faultline: Why ‘Cash to Trash’ Threatens Labour’s Future
The Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill has been pitched as a “win–win” — promising both more homes and stronger protections for nature. But Arbtech’s new research, based on a poll of nearly 10,000 adults across Great Britain, shows the reality is far more complex, and politically dangerous.
Our findings reveal three critical fault lines:
- Voters overwhelmingly reject the idea of developers paying into a central fund — labelled “cash to trash” – to bypass local environmental obligations.
- Communities want environmental protections delivered locally, not traded off miles away.
- These issues cut sharply across electoral maps, putting dozens of Labour-held seats at risk if the Bill goes ahead in its current form.
The evidence is clear: far from securing a “win–win,” the Bill risks weakening environmental protections, deepening inequality, and alienating decisive voter blocs in key marginal constituencies.
This report lays out the data behind these trends and provides practical, common-sense recommendations that could protect both nature and political credibility.
