Natural England

Ahead of its launch on 11 October, the new natural environment champion Natural England has announced that it has agreed a budget for 2006/07, which will enable funding to be released immediately for a range of critical environmental projects.

Natural England has conducted a review of the proposed in-year budget cuts that it needs to make as its contribution to easing Defra's financial pressures.

Priority projects have been agreed for implementation in this financial year on the basis of the settlement and planning assumptions for 2007/08, in line with Natural England's corporate strategy for 2006-09, 'Strategic Direction'. These include the programmes focused on delivering the Government's targets to increase the number of SSSIs in favourable condition to 95% by 2010 and to reverse the long term decline in farmland birds by 2020.

Helen Phillips, Chief Executive of Natural England, said, "Natural England will always be focused on the delivery of environmental outcomes. Having completed an extensive review of our in-year cuts and planning assumptions discussed with Defra for 07/08, we are committed to preserving all the programmes which contribute to the key priorities for our delivery work."

Natural England will be launched at an event on 11 October, to which the Rt Hon David Miliband MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, will be giving the keynote speech.

Notes to editors

Projects and programmes identified by Natural England as priorities in this financial year are as follows:

• Delivery in full of the programmes which contribute to the SSSI and farmland birds PSA targets and the England Biodiversity Strategy, which will involve committing a further £5m over the remainder of the financial year.
• Receipt of separate funding of £1.685m over two years for the survey of the marine environment to fund a range of other activities which will collectively progress efforts to establish a coherent network of marine protected areas.
• Delivery of the Catchment Sensitive Farming project in all priority catchments and, in nine of the priority catchments, developing fully integrated catchment strategies, addressing priorities for land, water, flora and fauna conservation.
• Work on climate change, including planning for adaptation andworking at the landscape scale, planning for connectivity and resilienceof ecosystems, addressing the role of land managers as carbon managers and significant efforts to reduce the organisation's own greenhouse gas emissions.
• Active involvement in planning activities at a national, regional and local level, with a particular focus on Growth Areas and major public enquiries.
• Providing Defra with timely advice on the options for improving coastal access.
• Commencing its work to promote preventative health solutions, through raising awareness of the opportunities for access to the natural environment to play an important role in mental and physical health.

Contact details

Natural England Press Office: 07970 098005.