Our Board has corporate responsibility for ensuring that Natural England fulfils the aims and objectives set by the Secretary of State. The main roles of the Board are to establish Natural England’s strategy, approve policy direction and review performance of the organisation.
Board meetings
Board meeting dates, papers and minutes
Board members
The Board is appointed by the Secretary of State and comprises a Chair and not more than 15 members. All members are appointed on an individual basis and not as representatives of any organisations. The Chief Executive is also an ex officio member of the Board.
- Sir Martin Doughty (Chair)
- Dr Helen Phillips (Chief Executive)
- Mr Poul Christensen (Deputy Chair)
- Mr Peter Allen
- Ms Sarah Burton
- Professor Lynn Crowe
- Professor Michael Depledge
Sir Martin Doughty (Chair)
Date appointed: 2 October 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2009
Following a career as a lecturer in Environmental Management at Sheffield Hallam University, Martin, from Derbyshire, developed his expertise and interest in nature conservation alongside landscape and access work as Chair, The Peak District National Park Authority. He has held a wide range of key roles in the public and voluntary sectors, including Leader of Derbyshire County Council from 1992 until 2001. Martin has also been a Board Member for the Countryside Agency (1999 – 2005) and was the Chair of English Nature before being appointed as Chair for Natural England.
He was knighted in 2001 for services to local government in Derbyshire and he received Honorary Doctorates from Sheffield Hallam University in 2002, Cranfield University in 2005 and Derby University in 2006.
Sir Martin holds office in a number of organisations:
Chair - Torr Vale Mill BP Trust
Vice President - Peak & Northern Footpaths Society and the Arkwright Society
Patron - IEEM and Creswell Heritage Trust
Fellow - Royal Society of Arts
Member - CIWEM, BBC Rural Affairs Committee, Labour Party, RSPB and National Trust, New Mills Heritage Centre Management Committee and Green Alliance.
Dr Helen Phillips (Chief Executive)
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2009
Helen was appointed Natural England’s first Chief Executive in February 2006 by the Secretary of State. She is also a member of Natural England’s Board and is the Accounting Officer of both Natural England and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. In leading the Executive, Helen has overall responsibility for the performance of Natural England.
Helen was appointed for her track record in leading organisational change, to create a high performing organisation where pursuit of efficiency programmes will deliver increased investment in the natural environment. Natural England aspires to be the environmental commentator of choice, Helen’s trenchant advocacy in her role as CEO will be key to achieving this.
A post doctoral graduate of University College Dublin in zoology, Helen’s career spans biology in academia to leadership roles in the National Rivers Authority and the Environment Agency. She is a Member of the Royal Society of Arts and a member of the Association of Chief Executives. Before taking up her current appointment, she was the Director of Environment Agency, Wales.
Mr Poul Christensen (Deputy Chair)
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2009
Poul farms in a family partnership at Kingston Farm, in Oxfordshire. A founder of the Tenant Farmers’ Association in 1981, he is committed to tenant farming and has a keen interest in conservation. He is currently a Director of the Agricultural Central Trading and has served as a Chair of many agricultural organisations. He is a member of the Defra Management Board, and a Board Member of the DTI South East England Regional Development Agency. He was Chair of the Rural Development Service before taking up the appointment of Deputy Chair for Natural England.
Poul is a member of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s Board and their Audit and Risk Management Committee as Natural England’s representative.
Poul received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 1991 for services to agriculture and the commercial development of the Agricultural Development Advisory Service (ADAS).
Mr Peter Allen: Farmer
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2009
Responsibilities include: North West region (except Mersey belt) and Lake District National Park
Peter is a 17th generation Lakeland tenant hill farmer. He is also Chairman for the North West Regional Management Board of the National Farmers Union, Responsible use of Medicines Alliance and the EU Sheep Advisory Committee. He also holds membership of the Moorland Access Advisory Group, NOAH Code of Practice Committee, North West REPAC and Standing Conference for Country Sports.
Ms Sarah Burton: Campaign Director
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2009
Responsibilities include: London region
Sarah is a lawyer by training. In January 2006 she was appointed Campaign Programme Director for Amnesty International. Between 1990 and 2001, Sarah held various positions with Greenpeace UK and is currently a Trustee of Greenpeace Environmental Trust. She is also a Director of Canonbury Villas Limited and Laser Kilns Limited.
Sarah was a Council Member for English Nature from 2005-2006, before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England.
Professor Lynn Crowe: Environmental Management
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2009
Responsibilities include: Yorkshire and the Humber region and Peak District National Park
Lynn is Professor of Environmental Management at Sheffield Hallam University and responsible for the management of the Countryside Recreation Network. She is also Chair of the Social Science Research Advisory Group at the Forestry Commission.
Lynn was a member of the Peak District National Park Authority from 1996-2006 and a Council Member for English Nature from 2005-2006, before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England.
Ordinary membership is held in the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England and the International Council of Monuments and Sites.
Professor Michael Depledge: Environment and Human Health Scientist
Appointed until: 30 September 2009
Responsibilities include: South West region (Devon and Cornwall) and Dartmoor National Park
Michael is Chair of Environment and Human Health at the Peninsula Medical School, Devon. He is a Member of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution. He is also Visting Professor in the Department of Zoology, Oxford University and Vice Chairman of the Science Advisory Committee of DG-Research in the European Commission. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Biology and the Royal Society of Arts.
Michael was formerly Chief Scientific Advisor to the Environment Agency (2002-2006), a Board Member of the Natural Environment Research Council, and an Honorary Visiting Scientist at Harvard University.
Mr Tony Hams: Sustainable Development and Planning
Date appointed: 2 June 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2011
Responsibilities include: All “Protected Areas” and The New Forest and North York Moors National Parks
Tony was formerly the Chair of the UK Association of National Park Authorities, the Peak District National Park Authority and the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for the East Midlands. He is a member of the East Midlands Regional Sports Board. Until 2006 he was a trustee and chair of the Green Alliance. He has a professional background in planning, conservation, recreation and sustainable development. Tony was a Countryside Agency Board Member from 2000-2006, leading on protected areas, planning and energy issues before joining the Natural England Board. He is the lead Board member for National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. He was awarded an OBE in 2000 for services to sustainable development.
Professor David Hill: Ecological Consultant
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2009
Responsibilities include: North East region and Northumberland National Park
David has significant experience in consultancy, nature conservation and company business strategy. He runs an ecological consultancy company, is Chairman of The Environment Bank Ltd and was previously Chief Scientific Adviser to RPS Group plc. David is a Fellow and past President of the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management. He has published extensively on ecological issues and currently he is a Director of the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust.
David is a member of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee’s Board and their Audit and Risk Management Committee as Natural England’s representative. David is a member of the RSPB and a life member of the National Trust.
Mr Doug Hulyer: Communications, Learning and Ecotourism
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2010
Responsibilities include: South West region (except Devon and Cornwall) and Exmoor National Park
Doug is an independent advisor on People and Nature programmes and projects. He was previously the Director of Conservation Programmes for the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. Doug is a committed environmentalist, environmental educator and conservationist with over 30 years professional experience. He is a Trustee of the National Heritage Memorial Fund/Heritage Lottery Fund and a member of HLF’s South West Committee.
Doug is currently Vice-President of the Surrey Wildlife Trust, a member of the Learnings Panel of the National Trust and Chair of the Education and Public Understanding Group for England Biodiversity Strategy and of The Great Fen Project Foundation. He also holds memberships in Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, English Heritage, Wildfowl & Wetland Trust, Freshwater Biological Association, Institute of Biology, Institute of Directors, The Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management and the National Trust.
Doug was a Council Member for English Nature between 2002-2006, before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England.
Professor David Macdonald: Mammal Biologist
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2011
David is the Professor of Wildlife Conservation and the Director (and founder) of the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit at Oxford University. He is also Chairman of the Darwin Advisory Committee, Defra. David was awarded the 2004 Dawkins Prize for contributions to wildlife conservation. In 2006 he was awarded the Merriam Medal for outstanding contributions to mammalian research by the American Society of Mammalogists and in 2007 he was awarded the equivalent medal of Britain’s Mammal Society. In 2008, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Other relevant interests are Non Executive Director for The Nature Bureau, and Director of the Oxford Stress Diagnostics. He is also Senior Research Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall and a Board Member of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and the World Wildlife Fund.
David was a Council Member for English Nature from 2003-2006, before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England and is Chairman of Natural England’s Science Advisory Committee.
Mr Christopher Pennell: Formerly Regional Director, National Trust
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2009
Responsibilities include: East Midlands region
Christopher has spent 27 years in the coal industry, 10 as the National Trust's East Midlands Director, 13 years as a Parish Councillor and three as a trustee of CPRE in the Peak District and South Yorkshire. He is currently the Secretary of State nominated Member and Vice-Chair of its Services Committee, Peak District National Park Authority and a Chairman of the Countryside Awards Panel of CPRE (Peak District and South Yorkshire). A member of the East Midlands Committee of the Heritage Lottery Fund and holds ordinary membership of The Friends of the Peak District, CPRE; National Trust; English Heritage; Sheffield Wildlife Trust; Friends of Sheffield Botanical Gardens; Friends of Sheffield Museums and Galleries and Member, Liberal Democrat Party.
Christopher was a Council Member for English Nature from 2005-2006, before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England. Christopher is Chair of Natural England’s Audit & Risk Management Committee.
Ms Pam Warhurst: Environment
Date appointed: 2 May 2006
Appointed until: 30 September 2010
Responsibilities include: North West region (Mersey belt) and Yorkshire Dales National Park
Pam is currently a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Manufacturing. She chairs Pennine Prospects, a regeneration company for the South Pennines, and Incredible Edible Todmorden, a local food partnership. Pam owns Bear Café, is an ordinary member of The National Trust and was a Board Member of the Plunkett Foundations Rural Revival Board to December 2007. She is currently a Board member for West Yorkshire Tourism Partnership. Her other previous posts include Chair of a Health Trust, Leader of a Local Authority, a member of an RDA and a member on Committee of Regions.
In 2005 Pam was awarded the CBE in recognition of her services to the environment. Pam was Deputy Chair of the Countryside Agency before taking up the appointment of Board Member for Natural England.