Focused on the policy work of the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum, this article details the inclusion of new environmental policies in the 2025-2040 Plan. It explains the Forum's ambition to mandate Biodiversity Net Gain in all new developments, promoting tree planting, habitat protection, and the creation of green corridors. The narrative is driven by the Forum's response to central government proposals to weaken national biodiversity requirements, framing their efforts as a local rearguard action against the deregulation of environmental standards. It positions the Neighbourhood Plan as a crucial tool for ensuring that Hampstead's "green character" is not eroded by piecemeal development, championing the idea that local communities can and should lead by example on environmental issues.