THERE was shock at the conservative conference last week, when the Prime Minister said three times, ‘growth was the only way to go.’

I agree, so why am I and all wildlife charities and leading environmentalists like Chris Packham very worried?

First, we need to know what’s meant by growth. If it means building and destroying open grass lands like the green belt and national parks, then no wonder everyone is against it.

Why everyone is so worried about this is because instead of showing she would work with nature trusts and even the RSPB, she said in her speech that we were all think-tanks; talking heads and anti-growth league, how rude! Nothing could be further from the truth.

The problem is that no government has ever been able to show that mitigation works in the long run, as you can’t move the wildlife to somewhere else as this often kills them anyway.

What’s more, there isn’t anywhere else to go; we are a small land mass, we just don’t have vast open lands not already in use for something else.

The UK has already got a biodiversity crisis and wildlife numbers are continually on the way down. If the government wants to engage with the public on this, then it better change its rhetoric and get educated.

Long before we cover the ground with any more concrete, there is a way to increase growth without destruction.

‘Efficiency and effective businesses.’British businesses has been low on productivity for years, this is where we should concentrate. This would bring big growth without any destruction of our dwindling natural resources.

A couple of examples: when I was young and worked in a big London firm, the incoming calls had to be answered in less than a minute, or you were called up to see the manager. Now we can be holding on for 20 minutes routinely and sometimes up to an hour. This work practice wastes their time and the callers; it costs millions of pounds of a year.

The other bad practice is leaving messages with businesses and organisations, but no one calls you back, and if they do, it’s too late.

Then there’s the builder and others who does not turn up for the appointment, or the delivery people who expect you to wait in all day for a parcel.

With all the computers and business degrees that people have now, something fundamental has gone wrong over time and no one wants to shout out that the ‘king has lost his clothes.’

To the PM and Business secretary, if they want growth as we all do, then get efficient first before you lift a shovel more of inefficiency.

Work with the wildlife trusts and not be rude and arrogant.

We could improve British business by up to 10 or even 20 per cent just by going back to good old business practices and good ethics, and of course putting the customer first. Wouldn’t that be a treat!