Illustration by John Sadler www.johnsadlerillustration.com 

• PROFESSOR Jeff Waage (Seen any sparrows recently? December 1) highlights how urgent action is needed if we are to have any hope of avoiding further drastic decline of biodiversity in the UK.

Unfortunately, the UK “halting the decline of nature by 2030” might well be too late, with many species already down by a third and many populations still shrinking.

A glimpse of hope therefore in hearing from Andrew Sulston (We are planting for the future & contributing to the environment, December 1) about how a local resident group is encouraging “guerilla gardening” in Highgate.

Camden’s Local Plan is up for review now and if you submit your ideas by 5pm on the January 13, your input could be crucial in shaping the future for our own tiny patch of the planet.

Please do take a few minutes to share your views on the council’s Commonplace website camdenlocalplanreview.commonplace.is/ or email: PlanningPolicy@camden.gov.uk.

Personally I’d love to see how wildlife biodiversity and viable ecosystems could be encouraged, not just in publicly owned open spaces, but through joined-up environmental enhancement projects linked with any private and housing association owned gardens / yards / land that still remain here in Camden.

What would you like to see included in the next Camden Local Plan? Your time is now; please don’t feel that you need to hold back and follow current national govern­ment advice to wait until 2030 to do your bit.

Our time is now, if we want to work together to create a better and more sustainable environment for everyone here in Camden.

SUSANNE GRIFFIN, NW1