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Wildlife licensing: enabling development while protecting Nature - annual summary 2024  

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Development, Evidence, Licensing, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Protected sites and species, Species recovery, Wildlife
A bat hunting an insect

By Gemma Ole's, Deputy Director, Natural England Wildlife Licensing Service At Natural England we help balance economic growth with nature protection. Wildlife licensing is a vital tool to enable this. Our licences are broad ranging and allow development and other …

Growing more than food: The benefits of nature-friendly farming

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming, Natural England, wildlife and farming
Cows on Upwood Meadows Nature Reserve, Cambridgeshire

By Martin Lines, CEO, Nature Friendly Farming Network, andPeter Craven, Head of Agriculture, Natural England This week is Nature Friendly Farming Week, and with a theme of 'More than growing food' it aims to highlight the wider benefits of nature-friendly …

Guest blog: Benefits of engaging local communities in BNG

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Biodiversity Net Gain, Biodiversity Net Gain – Hints and Tips, Development, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery
Members of a community work on a project to increase biodiversity on a London thoroughfare

Rosie Whicheloe, Senior Planning Ecologist for a local authority in London, explains how she’s looking at the benefits of public engagement in BNG for the communities in which they live. Delivering social value alongside BNG is incredibly important in urban …

Two more years: extending ambitions for Nature recovery

Posted by: and , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Biodiversity Net Gain, Climate change, Connecting People with Nature, Environment Act, Environmental Improvement Plan, Evidence, Farming, Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), Marine environment, National Nature Reserve, Natural England, Nature, Protected sites and species
Tony walks with King Charles along a path in the Lincolnshire NNR. It's a beautiful sunny day, the King wears a light beige coloured suit. Tony has a blue shirt - he carries a pair of binoculars in his hand.

By Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England I was delighted to be invited to serve a third term as Chair of Natural England and look forward to continuing to lead the organisation as it adopts and implements a new …

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier: Supporting farmers and land managers to deliver nature friendly farming

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Farming, Natural England
A landscape view with flowers in the foreground, a group of cows in the middle distance, and a hill with a wooded area in the distance.

By Peter Craven, Head of Agriculture  At Natural England, we know that farming and nature can thrive together, and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) is here to help make that happen. Whether you're already working towards a more sustainable farm or …

Beaver wild release: a milestone for nature recovery in England

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Climate change, Flood Management, Licensing, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Nature-based solutions, Wildlife
Beaver entering the water. Credit: Maria Thompson, Natural England

By Stuart Otway, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Complex Cases Unit and Delphine Pouget, Principal Officer in Natural England’s Species Recovery & Reintroductions Team  After centuries of absence, beavers are beginning to reclaim their rightful place in the English landscape. …

Harnessing Nature-based Solutions to help combat flooding

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Flood Management, Natural England, Nature, Nature Recovery, Nature-based solutions
Two images: on the left is a drone, and on the right is the drone control with data the drone is capturing on a screen

As climate change brings more frequent and severe flooding, innovative solutions are emerging to tackle these challenges. Working with nature, not against it, Natural England is proposing schemes to help tackle flooding in Norfolk and Suffolk.   Projects in our region …

Guest blog: Showcasing successful onsite Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) project management

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity Net Gain, Biodiversity Net Gain – Hints and Tips, Climate change, Development, Uncategorized
A large pond seen through trees and wildflowers with new homes in the background: Ponds can play a key role in biodiversity net gain

In the run up to the first anniversary (12 February) of the introduction of BNG as a mandatory approach to development, making BNG a statutory requirement in all (non-exempt) Town and Country Planning Act applications we invited two open space …

'LUF-t off' for a more strategic approach to growth and Nature

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Biodiversity, Biodiversity Net Gain, Environmental Improvement Plan, Farming, Flood Management, Landscapes, Natural England, Nature Recovery, Nature-based solutions, Protected sites and species, Science and evidence, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Protection Area, Species recovery, Tree Planting, Wildlife, wildlife and farming
Cator North Park, Kidbrooke Village, London, with integrated BNG, including wetland and wildflowers

By Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England As the country seeks long-term solutions to our most pressing problems – how to build much-needed homes and infrastructure, safeguard food production and halt and reverse the decline of Nature – we …

Partnership sees experimental 'Disco Scallop' method develop into full-scale, commercial low-impact fishery

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Marine environment
Scallops in a crab pot out of water showing the LED light in the pot

By Mark Duffy, Marine Principal Adviser, Natural England Over the past three years Natural England has supported and invested in the “Potting for Scallops” initiative to help sustainable fishing of the mollusc and protect seabeds. The technique in the initiative …

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We’re the government’s adviser for the natural environment, helping to protect England’s nature and landscapes for people to enjoy.

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