Energy & Environment

LITTLE STOUR CHALK STREAM RESTORATION BLOG

Tom Reid, Biodiversity Technical Specialist in the Environment Agency's Kent, South London and East Sussex Area, explains how the future of the Little Stour, a chalk stream in Kent, is being safeguarded through partnership working on an innovative restoration project.

Updated: Wed Apr 12 2023

Slurry Infrastructure grants: first round summary and our next steps

Offered alongside better advice and fairer, more effective regulation, the Slurry Infrastructure grant is designed to help livestock farmers make better use of their slurries to meet crop need and cut pollution. In December, we opened the first round of the Slurry Infrastructure grant for applications. In this post, I'll explain how we prioritised projects and what will happen next. I'll also describe some changes we are making to the payment process in light of the high demand for the scheme.

Updated: Thu Apr 06 2023

The Net Zero Growth Plan and our farming offer

The Net Zero Growth Plan sets out how government plans to meet net zero while supporting economic growth and prosperity. In this post, I'll give an overview and explain how this relates to our farming offer.

Updated: Thu Apr 06 2023

How we're supporting hedgerows

Last month, members of the team gathered at Hockey's Farm in Hampshire situated on the edge of the New Forest. Together, we planted 1,500 small trees to establish a new native hedgerow across pastural farmland. In this post, I'll share more about the day and some of the ways through which we're supporting hedgerows in our schemes.

Updated: Wed Apr 05 2023

The Integrated Plan for Water

Today, we are looking at coverage following our Plan for Water, which covers both the water environment and water resources.

Updated: Wed Apr 05 2023

Water and nature recovery

By John Holmes, Strategy Director, Natural England Water is a fundamental resource for life - there is no environment, society, or economy without it and yet it has probably been taken for granted more than other resource. Perhaps that is ...

Updated: Tue Apr 04 2023

Water Management grants: get ready for round 2

In a few weeks' time, you will be able to apply for a Water Management grant. To help you prepare, we've published guidance for the grant on GOV.UK. In this post, I'll give an overview of the grant and details of a webinar for you to find out more.

Updated: Tue Apr 04 2023

Grants available in 2023

We've shared a few blog posts on grants recently. In this post, we'll give you a roundup of the grants on offer in 2023.

Updated: Mon Apr 03 2023

Changing seasons on the Natural England Board

By Tony Juniper CBE, Chair This time of year is all about rebirth and renewal and so it is with the Natural England Board, the body that provides our strategic leadership, oversight and assurance. As the Chair, it's my duty ...

Updated: Fri Mar 31 2023

Measuring biodiversity net gain - Publication of Biodiversity Metric 4.0

By Mike Burke, Programme Director - Sustainable Development Hot on the heels of the recent policy updates and associated guidance from Defra last week, we're pleased to share the publication of the biodiversity metric 4.0, another important milestone for biodiversity net ...

Updated: Fri Mar 31 2023

The Green Finance Strategy and Nature Markets Framework: what they mean for you

Alongside government funding, there are a range of private sector opportunities for farmers and land managers to access new income streams to invest in their holdings. We want farmers and land managers to be able to confidently and securely access payments from both the public and private sector for the environmental benefits they produce. Published today, the Nature Markets Framework and the new Green Finance Strategy set out how we will enable this.

Updated: Thu Mar 30 2023

Nature on Dartmoor

Reflections from Wes Smyth, Natural England's Area Manager on how we ensure Dartmoor's unique wildlife is preserved for future generations. Dartmoor is special, a working landscape with wide open moorland framed by steep intimate wooded valleys and a pastoral moorland ...

Updated: Wed Mar 29 2023

New Entrant Support Scheme: an update on our pilots

Through 5 pilots, we're exploring different ways to support new entrants to develop successful land-based businesses in England. We're now over halfway through. In this post, I'll share a brief overview of our participants, what we've learned and our next steps.

Updated: Wed Mar 29 2023