The Lincolnshire Bird Club

New champion for the environment launches

Wednesday 11 October sees the official launch of Natural England, a new and powerful government agency that has been created to champion the natural environment.

The centrepiece of the launch will be the announcement of four major campaigns which go to the heart of Natural England’s purpose and will aim to inspire, motivate and engage people across England.

Natural England will, for the first time, unite in a single organisation responsibility for protecting and enhancing biodiversity and landscapes, as well as promoting greater access and recreation - helping people to enjoy more green spaces both in the countryside and urban environments.

Natural England will have wide-ranging responsibilities. As a delivery organisation, it will provide incentives to farmers and land managers to manage their land in a more environmentally friendly way. Natural England will also be a key regulator and the government’s independent watchdog to advise on how policies affect the natural environment.

The four campaigns will be a call to action. Each campaign addresses one of the critical challenges that face the natural environment. Common to all will be connecting people and the natural environment.

The campaigns will be launched over the next two months and will focus on protecting the marine environment, preventative health solutions, farmers’ stewardship of biodiversity and climate change; targets will include establishing a network of marine protected areas by 2012 and championing the provision of accessible green space within five minutes walk of every home.

Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said: “The creation of Natural England is a landmark moment for the natural environment. No other organisation in Europe matches the breadth of our legislative remit, and the scale of our challenge. By uniting responsibility for landscapes and biodiversity, Natural England will be working to build resilience into our natural systems in the face of climate change.”

Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England said: “Natural England is about four things: having a healthy natural environment, people’s enjoyment of the natural environment, sustainable use of our natural resources and a secure environmental future. We will be about the urban as well as rural environment and as much about tomorrow as we are about today.”

The Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, makes the keynote speech at Natural England’s launch event on Wednesday evening.


Notes to editors

1. Natural England was established by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006. Its purpose is to ensure that the natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

2. Natural England’s Strategic Direction 2006-09 sets out how it will deliver this purpose through incentives, advice and regulation. This identifies four strategic outcomes Natural England will seek to deliver: a healthy natural environment, enjoyment of the natural environment, sustainable use of the natural environment and a secure environmental future.

3. Natural England has been formed by bringing together English Nature, the landscape, access and recreation elements of the Countryside Agency and the environmental land management functions of the Rural Development Service.

4. Natural England has a budget of £500 million and employs 2500 people.

5. Natural England’s headquarters are based in Sheffield.

6. Details of Natural England’s four campaigns can be found in the attached backgrounder.

Further Press Information

Natural England: Contact Press Office on 07970 098 005 (24 hours) or Cherry Farrow on 07739 573932

BBC News web site:

New countryside body reveals aims

Turning a new leaf: Natural England replaces English Nature
The new conservation watchdog Natural England has outlined four strategies that will be the focus of its work.

A healthy environment; enjoyment of green spaces; sustainable use of resources; and a secure future were key objectives, the agency said.

The new body is the result of English Nature merging with parts of the Countryside Agency and the Rural Development Service.

Rural campaigners fear it will lack the power and funding to make a difference.

Natural England was formed at the beginning of October, but will be officially unveiled at a launch event on Wednesday.

Chairman Sir Martin Doughty described the government-funded agency's formation as a "landmark moment for the natural environment".

"No other organisation in Europe matches the breadth of our legislative remit, and the scale of our challenge," Sir Martin said.

"By uniting responsibility for landscapes and biodiversity, Natural England will be working to build resilience into our natural systems in the face of climate change," he added.

The Sheffield-based organisation was established by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (Nerc) Act 2006.

Environmental stewardship of farmland is part of the new remit

The legislation followed on from recommendations made in a report by Lord Haskins in 2003, which said the number of rural agencies was confusing and too bureaucratic.

He recommended merging some of the many different agencies for the countryside into a new integrated rural body.

As a result, former conservation watchdog English Nature merged with the landscape, access and recreation departments of the Countryside Agency, and the Rural Development Services' environmental land management teams to form the new body.

'Seriously weakened'

Natural England, which employs 2,500 people and has a budget of £500m, is responsible for ensuring that the "natural environment is conserved, enhanced and managed for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development".

However, rural campaigners fear it lacks the funds and powers to make a difference.

"Savage cuts to its core funding mean that the organisation is seriously weakened even as it embarks on its crucial work," said Tom Oliver, head of rural policy for the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE).

In August, newspaper reports said Natural England was facing cuts of £12m, which threatened to undermine the agency's work.

Responding at the time, a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said: "Recently, Defra has experienced a number of pressures, including funding avian influenza incidents and the introduction of a new payment scheme for farmers.

"We are doing our utmost to avoid cuts that will jeopardise important environmental projects," the spokesman added.

Miliband regret at wildlife agency cut

By Charles Clover, Environment Editor, The Daily Telegraph
(Filed: 12/10/2006)

David Miliband, the Environment Secretary, last night admitted that he "regretted" budget cuts which have left the new agency, Natural England, with a ban on any conservation project costing more than £5,000.

Some £12.9 million has been cut from the landscape and wildlife agency budget for this year because the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs needs to save £200 million.

At the launch of the agency, which unites responsibilities for wildlife, landscapes and access in one body, Mr Miliband said: "I do not want to dodge the budgeting question. Defra has to live within its means and a combination of accounting changes, avian flu, and difficulties at the Rural Payments Agency have caused real problems.

''I recognise the power of Natural England's case for a funding rise on this year's final allocation; I plan to deliver this."

Sir Martin Doughty, Natural England's chairman, said the ban would mean that "more things may have to be pushed into next year".