ReSCUE takes flight: Survey campaign to address gaps in seabird flight height data.

Wind turbines in the North Sea. Credit: Andrew Harwood

By Rachel Mewes – Marine Ornithology Specialist and ReSCUE Project Support, Eddie Cole – ReSCUE Project Lead and Andrew Harwood – Senior Marine Ornithology Specialist and ReSCUE Technical Lead Offshore wind expansion is critical to the UK government’s ambitions to …

Hinkley Point C - Supporting Sustainable Growth and Restoring the Severn Estuary

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Development, Growth, Natural England

By Dave Slater, NE Regional Director for the South West Hinkley Point C will be the UK's largest nuclear power station, providing low-carbon energy to millions of homes. But building it in the Severn Estuary, one of Britain's most important …

Greener, Faster, Better: How Partnership Working is Streamlining Development on the Lower Thames Crossing

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Development, Growth, Natural England, Nature

By Marian Spain, CEO of Natural England It’s not often that a major infrastructure project is associated with being green, but recently I visited a project which aims to be ‘Britain’s greenest road’. This is a bold claim but one …

Balancing Nature and Development: The Humber Estuary Protected Site Strategy Pilot 

By Katharine Carson, Senior Officer, Sustainable Development, Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Area Team When you think of the Humber Estuary, you might picture big stretches of mudflats full of wading birds like curlew and lapwing. Or maybe you think of the busy docks and …

Building Homes, Restoring Nature: How District Level Licensing has streamlined development 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Development, Growth, Natural England, Nature

By Mike Burke, Sustainable Development Portfolio Director Nature underpins our nation's growth, health, and security. Natural England's job is to recover nature whilst enabling our partners in the development sector to build the vital homes this country needs.  Our approach is to …

Royal Assent: Natural England and the Planning and Infrastructure Act 

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Development, Growth, Monitoring, Natural England

By Marian Spain, Chief Executive, Natural England The Planning and Infrastructure Bill received Royal Assent today. The new Act is central to the government's Plan for Change, representing one of the most significant planning reforms in a generation. The Act also represents a milestone for Natural England, giving more opportunities to to …

Rethinking how we approach the design of reservoirs

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Climate change, Development, Evidence, Green Infrastructure, Growth, Landscape, Natural England
Photo of Wimbleball Lake with landscape scenery around

By Jacqui Jobbins, Landscape Senior Specialist, Natural England As our climate changes and demand for water grows, water companies across the country are planning new reservoirs and expanding existing ones. But these projects aren’t just about storing water – they’re …

How nature and nuclear can co-exist

Sizewell B nuclear power plant in the distance behind natural landscape

By Sean Mahoney, Sizewell C Project Manager and Senior Officer, Major Planning Casework A collaborative approach has delivered environmental protections alongside energy security at Sizewell C nuclear power station. Natural England has worked closely with Sizewell C and environmental stakeholders …

Building Britain's Future: Why Nature and Growth Go Hand in Hand

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Development, Green Infrastructure, Growth, Natural England

By Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England It’s obvious isn’t it. Britain can either build the homes, infrastructure and clean energy systems our growing economy needs, or we can protect our natural environment for future generations. This apparent choice …

Earls Court: Where Nature Is Set to Take Centre Stage in London’s Next Great Neighbourhood

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Connecting People with Nature, Development, Growth, Natural England

By James Scott, Non-Exec Board Member at Natural England and Group Director of Strategy and Planning at Urban&Civic plc If you’ve ever wondered what happens when one of London’s largest brownfield sites is reimagined with a focus on nature, the …