National conversation needed on how to turbo-charge Nature recovery while building the homes the country needs

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity Net Gain, Development, Environment Act, Environmental Improvement Plan, Green Infrastructure, Natural England, Nature-based solutions, Nutrient Neutrality
Birds flying over a wetland

England doesn’t have enough houses, and also doesn’t have enough Nature. If we are to succeed in meeting our national needs, we require more of both. For too long we’ve been told that the only way to build more homes …

Holme Fen National Nature Reserve peatland restoration project

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, National Nature Reserve, Nature Recovery, Peat

By Catherine Weightman, Natural England’s Senior Project Manager for Peatland Restoration in the Fens - West Anglia Team   I’ve been working for Natural England and its predecessors for more than twenty years. I’m currently working on peatland restoration in the …

BNG lessons learned with Local Planning Authorities

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Biodiversity Net Gain, Biodiversity Net Gain – Hints and Tips, Development, Green Infrastructure, Licensing, Mental health and wellbeing, Natural England, Nature Recovery Network
Image shows a few newly built houses at a development site in Thakeham. A pond is at the forefront of the image with green grassy land around it and lots of vegetation, allowing for nature to thrive. A beautiful clear blue sky hangs overhead.

By Ruth Andreyeva, Director of Land, Water and Seas strategy Biodiversity net gain (BNG) became mandatory in England earlier in 2024, after many years of collaboration across industry and the public sector. We celebrate this milestone wholeheartedly, but we’re not …

A simpler, clearer and faster way to decide when to consult Natural England on planning applications that might affect a SSSI

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Development, Mapping, Protected sites and species, Site of Special Scientific Interest
An aerial view of part of Chesil and the Fleet SSSI, which is designated for its coastal lagoon seagrass beds and vegetated shingle saltmarsh

By Sarah Middlehurst, Senior Officer, Natural England Today sees the launch of a new tool that will help local planning authorities (LPAs) decide when to consult Natural England on planning applications that might impact a SSSI. The new and improved …