Natural England

Helen Phillips' Speech

• As we have heard from Martin our State of the Natural Environment report could perhaps be labelled a 'glass half full, glass half empty' report.
• It shows that efforts to conserve the natural environment have worked, and continue to work, particularly when that effort - time and money - is targeted on specific sites or species.
• Our SSSIs are in better condition than at any time since they were established, our agri-environment schemes have checked the decline of farmland birds, and restored and replanted thousands of kilometres of hedgerow and success stories such as the cirl bunting, the large blue butterfly, and the Deptford pink show that species heading towards the exit door can be saved.
• These achievements serve to underline the benefits of partnership working, and many of you here this evening have had vital roles to play.
• It is however inevitable that the bad news - and SoNE provides plenty of it - draws the headlines.
• There is no hiding from the fact that outside of protected areas the natural environment is suffering.
• And our population grows and land is in demand for housing, for food, for energy and for leisure, tourism and recreation, and as the impact of climate change begin to bite, it is clear that a new more joined up approach is needed to ensure that England's natural wealth is not squeezed into every shrinking areas.
• It is disappointing, yes, but we must accept that we have much more to do to halt the long-term decline in the diversity and local distinctiveness of our wildlife and landscapes.
• That's why we also published our 'Manifesto for the Natural Environment', both as a response to the State of the Natural Environment and as a call to action.
• It is drawn from our more detailed corporate planning and strategic direction documents - setting out both what Natural England, working with a wide range of organisations and government departments, will do to confront the challenges facing the natural environment.
• I am grateful to the many of you here this evening who contributed to the development of our refreshed Strategic Direction.
• The major themes of our refreshed Strategic Direction, which is soon to be published, are picked up in our Manifesto, emphasising the need for a new approach to conserving the natural environment.
• This approach must focus on taking action at a landscape scale, it must bring people and nature back together again and crucially it must embed conservation of the natural environment into all areas of public policy.

A call to action

• I do not propose to go into the detail of the Manifesto here this evening, but I will answer any questions in the QA session later on.
• But I would like to make three broader points that we have tried to bring into greater focus through the Manifesto.
• The first is that the natural environment is not a luxury add on, a nice to have or an optional extra.
• It is a vital public service - and should be prioritised alongside healthcare and education provision. It is far too important to everyone in this country for us not to take action.
• The second is that the value of the services provided by the natural environment - the clean air, clean water and productive soils, the carbon storage, the natural flood management - is not adequately recognised or factored into the decision making process, and it needs to be.
• For example we think that there is a strong case for the £2 billion/year that land managers and farmers currently receive from the public purse to buy more of these services - with the most environmentally sustainable land management receiving the greatest financial reward. I was heartened to see that the UK Government's formal response to the CAP Health Check made exactly this point.
• And the third is that there is a real need for the natural environment to be hard wired into all public policy - the natural environment has exciting contributions to make, for example, in health, education, energy and housing policy.
• A new MORI poll for Natural England showed that 88% of the population think that environmental concerns are as, if not more, important than economic concerns.
• Or perhaps more tellingly - as many people watched Springwatch as Big Brother last year.
• People want, I believe, to lead greener lives more in tune with the natural world. What is needed is the environmental leadership and clear vision to take them there.
• So if there is to be development, it must create new greenspaces for people and habitats for wildlife, helping to link existing greenspaces.
• When we build new schools let them be built with nature in mind - so children can learn in an environment more conducive to education, and understand and experience the natural world as they do.
• And lets invest in greener hospital grounds to improve recovery of patients, and speed up recuperation so that they return home quicker and healthier, freeing up hospital beds.
• The health service currently makes limited use of the mental and physical health benefits of the great outdoors.
• We think, for example, that GPs should be encouraged to promote physical activity in the natural environment through incentives added into the 2009 review of their contract.
• Our MORI poll showed that a staggering 96% of the population agreed.

Taking difficult decisions for the future

• We should not forget, on the eve of World Biodiversity day, what England's wildlife and landscapes mean to its people - they are the cornerstones of cultural identity.
• So it gives me great pleasure to announce that Natural England has prioritised an extra £5million over three years for a new 'Countdown 2010' fund which supports the recovery of some of England's most threatened species and habitats. The Countdown 2010 fund will target wildlife on the priority list of threatened species and habitats in England.
• We look forward to then to working with you to help the dormouse, the water vole, the white-letter hairstreak butterfly, or our traditional orchards as successfully as we have to conserve the Lincolnshire limewoods, the black grouse and the natterjack toad over recent years.
• And we look forward to working with you to continue to make the case for the coordinated action that is needed now, not just by government but by the widest possible coalition of businesses and communities.
• To deliver a greener future both for people and nature.