Natural England

As a non-departmental public body (NDPB), Natural England is independent of government. However, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs has the legal power to issue guidance to Natural England on various matters.{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/16/contents |title=Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 |publisher=Legislation.gov.uk|access-date=17 March 2013 }}

Its powers include defining ancient woodlands, awarding grants, designating Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, managing certain national nature reserves, overseeing access to open country and other recreation rights, and enforcing the associated regulations. It is also responsible for administering numerous grant schemes and frameworks that fund the development and conservation of the natural environment, for example environmental stewardship, the Countryside Stewardship Scheme, environmentally sensitive areas, and the Access to Nature Scheme.{{cite web|url=https://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/10382390|title=Access to Nature: Learning Papers|publisher=Natural England|access-date=17 March 2025}}

Natural England's latest corporate plan sets out its goals and detailed objectives.{{cite web |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/natural-englands-corporate-plans |title=Corporate plans |publisher=Natural England |access-date=26 January 2016 }}

Natural England derives its finance, human resources and estates services from the Defra Shared Services organisation.{{cite web |url=http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/ruraldelivery/report/haskins1-9.htm#Rec6 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100104171600/http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/ruraldelivery/report/haskins1-9.htm#Rec6 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 January 2010 |title=Public Update on implementation of Lord Haskins' Rural Delivery Review - Recommendations 1-9 |publisher=DEFRA |access-date=17 March 2013 }} Information technology services are outsourced to IBM.{{cite web |url=http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/20770.wss |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010030117/http://www-03.ibm.com/press/us/en/pressrelease/20770.wss |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 October 2012 |title=Natural England Chooses IBM as Its Transformation Partner |date=13 Dec 2006 |publisher=IBM News room |access-date=17 March 2013 }}

Natural England was established on 1 October 2006 by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, which implemented the recommendations of a rural review by The Baron Haskins of Skidby. It was formed by the amalgamation of three founder bodies:

• Countryside Agency, the landscape, access and recreation elements
• English Nature
• Rural Development Service, the environmental land management functions of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)

It received the powers of the founder bodies.

Natural England joined the 10:10 project in 2009 in a bid to reduce its own carbon footprint.{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2009-10-21/debates/09102134000003/ClimateChange(PoliticalResponse)|title=Climate Change (Political Response)|date=21 October 2009|publisher=Hansard|access-date=17 March 2025}}

In 2008, Sir Martin Doughty, the Chairman of Natural England, issued a warning to the Prime Minister concerning the potential dangers of genetically modified crops.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/natural-england-warns-brown-of-dangers-in-promoting-gm-crops-852341.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220618/https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/natural-england-warns-brown-of-dangers-in-promoting-gm-crops-852341.html |archive-date=18 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=Natural England warns Brown of dangers in promoting GM crops |date=23 June 2008 |last=Mccarthay |first= Michael |work=The Independent |access-date=17 March 2013 }} However, in 2012, Poul Christensen, CBE, the next Chairman of Natural England, said that middle England should embrace new technologies like GM crops as long as there were adequate testing and safeguards.{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/hay-festival/9303110/Hay-Festival-2012-Poul-Christensen-people-should-not-be-afraid-of-GM.html |title=Hay Festival 2012: Poul Christensen: "people should not be afraid of GM" |date=31 May 2012 |author=Gray, Louise |work=The Telegraph |access-date=17 March 2013 }}

Following the 2008 financial crisis, as a public body, Natural England has been subject to a series of pay freezes and restrictions. The organisation was subject to the 2020 three-year pay freeze, which will affect Natural England staff, who have now experienced pay freezes and one per cent pay increases. Staff and Unions representing staff have expressed concerns regarding the duration of these pay restraints and issues including equality and disparity between Public body pay increases.{{cite web|url=https://www.pcs.org.uk/efra-group/latest-news/natural-england-pay-0 |title=Natural England Pay|website=Public and Commercial Services Union|access-date=3 December 2020}}

There also exists pay disparities between the staff who came from original bodies which vested to Natural England - The Rural Development Service, English Nature and the Countryside Agency.

On this matter, and the pay freeze and pay reductions over 10 years Unions representing Natural England staff have threatened strike action.{{cite web|url=https://prospect.org.uk/naturalengland/|title=Standing up for Natural England|website=Prospect|access-date=3 December 2020}}

In 2023 Natural England opposed its own planning application for a development on The Lizard peninsula in Cornwall.{{Cite web |last=Ellery |first=Ben |date=2023-10-22 |title=Natural England opposes its own plans for Cornwall development |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/natural-england-opposes-its-own-plans-for-office-in-cornwall-d75pfj62c |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=The Times}}{{Cite web |last=Letcher |first=Lisa |date=2023-10-25 |title=Developer opposes OWN plans to build at beauty spot |url=https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/natural-england-opposes-plans-build-8853446 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=Cornwall Live |language=en}}

In May 2008, Natural England published a report, State of the Natural Environment, which brought together statistics and facts about England's environment. The report was intended to be used by environmental organisations as a benchmark and source for policy development. It complements reports on different topics produced by other organisations:{{cite web|url=http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/31043?category=118044|title=State of the Natural Environment|publisher=Natural England|date=1 January 2008|access-date=17 March 2025}}

• on environmental facts and figures, by the Environment Agency
• on heritage counts, by the English Heritage
• on the state of the UK's birds, by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
• on the state of Britain's butterflies, by the Butterfly Conservation

Natural England funded eight pilot green exercise projects through local regional partnerships. These projects increased levels of physical activity and people's connections to their local green spaces. However, it was not clear whether these projects really changed people's long-term attitudes.{{cite web |url=http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/file/65068 |title=Green Exercise Programme Evaluation |year=2011 |publisher=Natural England |access-date=17 March 2013 }}

Natural England is promoting the concept of green infrastructure as a way of delivering a wide range of benefits for people and the natural environment together. It believes that green infrastructure should be delivered through the spatial planning system, as an integral part of new development everywhere, and also form a key part of proposals to regenerate existing urban areas.{{cite web |url=http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/planningdevelopment/greeninfrastructure/default.aspx |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140605090108/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/planningdevelopment/greeninfrastructure/default.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 June 2014 |title=Green Infrastructure |publisher=Natural England |access-date=27 July 2015 }}

Natural England is one of the steering group partners of Neighbourhoods Green, a green Infrastructure partnership initiative working with social landlords and housing associations to highlight the importance of open and green space in social housing and to improve the overall quality of design and management.{{cite web|url=http://www.lgcplus.com/lgc-news/minister-applauds-neighbourhoods-green/1276728.article|title= Minister Applauds Neighbourhoods Green|publisher=Local Government Chronicle|date=4 December 2003|access-date=17 March 2025}}

In 2019 and 2020, NE found that housing development could have a negative impact on the environment in some rivers as sewage discharges would increase levels of nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus.{{cite web|publisher=House of Commons Library|title=Nutrient neutrality and housing development|url= https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9850/|date=13 October 2023|access-date=17 March 2025}}{{cite web|publisher=Fareham Borough Council |title=Position statement on the effects of new residential development upon the Solent |url=https://www.fareham.gov.uk/planning/nitratepositionstatment.aspx|access-date=17 March 2025}}

Natural England was challenged in the High Court in 2006 by Peter Boggis, a pensioner who was protecting his house from erosion. Natural England claimed that as the site of Boggis's house, at Easton Bavents north of Southwold on the Suffolk coast was a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the protection went against the interests of the scientific community. Natural England lost the case in 2009, when Mr. Justice Blair, the brother of the former Prime Minister, ruled that Mr. Boggis' "human predicament" was more important than the site's SSSI status. Natural England won the subsequent appeal in October 2009.{{cite web |url=http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2009/201009.aspx |archive-url=http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20111121191513/http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2009/201009.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 November 2011 |title=High Court judgment confirms conservation status of Easton Bavents cliffs |date=20 October 2009 |publisher=Natural England |access-date=27 July 2015 }}

On 23 April 2019, Natural England (NE) announced that it was revoking three general licences in England for the control of certain wild birds using firearms. The revocation was made without consultation or communication. These licences covered 16 species of birds including several species of crow, gull and pigeon, as well as with non-native species such as Canada goose and sacred ibis.{{cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/797723/gl06-birds-conservation-licence.PDF |title=General Licence GL06|access-date=30 April 2019}} Natural England made the decision following a legal challenge by the environmental group Wild Justice which questioned the legality of the general licences. As a result, farmers were temporarily unable to kill these species without applying for individual licences.{{cite web|url=https://basc.org.uk/blog/press-releases/featured-news/natural-england-revoking-three-general-licences/|accessdate=23 April 2019|title=Natural England revoking three general licences}}{{dl|date=June 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/apr/24/woodpigeons-and-crows-can-no-longer-be-freely-killed-in-england |title=Woodpigeons and crows can no longer be freely killed in England |work=The Guardian|date=24 April 2019|access-date=25 April 2019}}

On 26 April 2019 NE issued the first of a series of replacement licences, covering the killing of carrion crows, and announced its intention to issue further licences in the coming weeks.{{Cite web | url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-general-licence-for-controlling-carrion-crows-comes-into-force | title=New general licence for controlling carrion crows comes into force}}

At NE's request, the Environment Secretary Michael Gove took over responsibility for the general licences from Natural England on 4 May 2019.{{cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/799918/letter-secretary-of-state-to-ne-chair-controlling-wildbirds-4-May-2019.pdf |title=The Rt Hon Michael Gove MP letter to Tony Juniper Chair of Natural England |access-date=3 December 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/901840/letter-ne-chair-to-environment-secretary-controlling-wildbirds-4-May-2019.pdf|title=Letter|website=gov.uk|access-date=23 September 2023}}

• Ancient woodland
• England Coast Path
• National Character Area
• National nature reserves in England
• Sir Martin Doughty - first Chair of Natural England 2006-2009
• Tony Juniper - current Chair of Natural England

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england}}
• [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/16/contents Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006]

{{Agriculture in the United Kingdom}}

{{Defra (United Kingdom)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2006 establishments in England

Category:Agricultural organisations based in England

Category:Conservation in England

Category:Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Category:English coast and countryside

Category:Environmental organizations established in 2006

Category:Interested parties in planning in England

Category:Non-departmental public bodies of the United Kingdom government

Category:Organisations based in York