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Unearthed – Greenpeace ‘The frank interview by Natural England’s outgoing chair comes as the government considers proposals for a new post-Brexit environmental regulator

England’s conservation advisor is no longer independent from government, its outgoing chair told MPs on Wednesday. The admission comes as Theresa May’s government is pushing a Brexit deal that includes proposals for a new environmental regulator that could have the power to take the government to court.

Under questioning in parliament, Natural England chair Andrew Sells revealed that the agency’s financial, press, communications and HR functions are now under the control of Michael Gove’s department for the environment, food and rural affairs (DEFRA).

Sells suggested that as a result Natural England’s ability to fulfil its legal duties is being side-lined under pressure to deliver on DEFRA’s priorities. The agency is responsible for monitoring and conserving protected sites, advising on planning proposals and issuing wildlife licences. “The difficulty is that all of our money effectively comes from DEFRA,” Sells told MPs.

“There is an inherent contradiction there. They want us to deliver their priorities. We say we have 500 statutory duties and responsibilities. We want to deliver those,” he said. In September, Unearthed revealed a leaked internal plan from Natural England that warned that the body is too stretched to prevent further extinctions and is no longer working towards a government target to conserve the country’s top wildlife sites.

EU exit, deal or no deal, is something approaching a national emergency issue

Around the same time, data emerged in a parliamentary question by Caroline Lucas showing that almost half of these sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) have not been monitored in the last six years. Asked about the lack of monitoring in parliament, Sells told MPs: “You can’t have this level of cuts without having impacts on the ground and these are some of them. I am happy that they are being highlighted and I won’t pretend it’s not the case […] It makes the bill for restoration ultimately bigger.” DEFRA told Unearthed that Natural England’s independence is “essential” for the work it does on environmental protection. But Sells told MPs: “Five years ago we could determine very largely what we did with our money and how we made announcements. Now we can’t.” Asked about the advice he would give his successor, Sells highlighted “never letting go of your independence…..but having said that is not one of my achievements”. Click here to read more of this article