Environmental campaigners angry as green laws labelled as red tape

All of Britain's 278 environment laws under review, including National Park, Clean Air and Climate Change Acts

Green laws such as the Wildlife and Countryside Act, which protects vulnerable species including the brown hare, are up for review. Photograph: Wildstock/PA

Environmental campaigners have condemned the coalition's inclusion of all of Britain's 278 environmental laws in a list of "red tape" regulations considered by the public for the axe.

The Wildlife and Countryside Act, National Park Act, Clean Air Act and the Climate Change Act are among the packages of environmental safeguards included in the "red tape challenge" – a crowdsourcing exercise launched by the government to establish which regulations restrict business in the UK.

All of the UK's more than 21,000 pieces of regulation are included on the government's website for an evaluation. Users are told only the issues of tax and national security are exempted. Participants are assured the "onus" will be on ministers to make the case for keeping a regulation recommended for cutting.

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