Natural England
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Natural England | |
 |
|
| Type | Non-Departmental Public Body |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1 October 2006 |
| Headquarters | Sheffield, England |
| Key people | Sir Martin Doughty (Chairman) Dr Helen Phillips (Chief Executive) |
| Industry | Natural environment |
| Revenue | over £400 million GBP (2006)[1] |
| Employees | 2,500 |
| Website | www.naturalengland.org.uk |
Natural England is a United Kingdom governmental Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). It was formed (vested) on 1 October 2006. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved. It also has a responsibility to help people enjoy, understand and access the natural environment.
Natural England was established by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, which implemented the recommendations of a rural review by Lord Haskins. 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
It received the powers of the founder bodies e.g. 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 the administration of numerous grant schemes and frameworks that finance the development and conservation of the natural environment, for example Environmental Stewardship.
As an NDPB it is theoretically independent of Government. However, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs will have the legal power to issue guidance to Natural England on various matters, a constraint that is not placed on its predecessor NDPBs. The new body will also be dependent on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for provision of its Finance, Human Resources, Estates and Information Technology services. It will be responsible for the delivery of some aspects of Defra's Public Service Agreements (e.g. reversing the long-term decline in the number of farmland birds by 2020 and improving public access to the countryside).
Natural England is focusing its activities and resources on four strategic outcomes:
- a healthy natural environment
- enjoyment of the natural environment
- sustainable use of the natural environment
- a secure environmental future
