Leaked documents reveal the scale of cuts to Natural England but how this is also forcing a change of relationship with the very organisations that are causing the problems that wildlife and the environment face. Further austerity cuts to staff will bring Natural England to a staff level to half that when it was set up. The wildlife and environmental problems haven’t diminished by this amount, quite the reverse.
Greenpeace makes the documents available: The government’s top natural environment watchdog is planning to rein in its regulatory powers and seek more funding from the corporations it assesses, documents leaked to Energydesk reveal. A source inside Natural England who spoke to Energydesk on condition of anonymity said the body is becoming more reluctant to regulate and warned that if the trend continues “we wouldn’t have any teeth any more”. Meanwhile, a leading conservationist charity told Energydesk that the regulator is already withdrawing its opposition on local planning decisions concerning wildlife habitats on a “widespread and significant” level across the country.
The news comes as the regulator is set to play a significant role if the UK’s existing environmental regulations – most of which derive from EU membership – are changed as a result of Brexit.
Prominent environmentalist Stanley Johnson – also a former Tory MEP and father to Boris Johnson – called for the government to stand by “the central importance” of the watchdog in light of the environmental implications of the recent vote to leave the EU, while the RSPB warned that the leak reveals “troubling trends [that] look set to continue”. Click here to read more