Natural England under threat.

[Fuzzy-felt bloke]

I’ve heard a few rumours yesterday and I’m hoping someone can shed any light on them. Natural England is to be merged with the Environment Agency and that British Waterways is to be cut by 30% and become a charity.

I would not be surprised if true!!

Fuzzy-Felt Bloke

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy-felt bloke

I’ve heard a few rumours yesterday and I’m hoping someone can shed any light on them. Natural England is to be merged with the Environment Agency and that British Waterways is to be cut by 30% and become a charity.

I would not be surprised if true!!

Fuzzy-Felt Bloke

both my wife and I work for natural england funded projects and we've not heard that - I have heard that natural england is to have its buget substantially reduced (by between 20-30% over the next three years). The environment agency is also experiencing cuts and it would not suprise me if BW was likewise - however it is hard to see how a quango can become a charity while retaining 70% of its govt funding

[NicolaB]

I work for Environment Agency Wales, and as yet haven't heard anything about being merged with CCW.

We are about to share accommodation with them in a bid to reduce building costs, so I'm wondering if that's happening all over the UK and might be the source of these rumours?

[Gill Catton]

I work for Natural England and as would be expected at such a time of change, rumours are flying left right and centre and the truth is I think no-one really knows yet.......

Having said that, I have heard rumours about all sorts of mergers but never was British Waterways mentioned actually.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Gill Catton

I work for Natural England .

when did that happen gill, I thought you were with bioscan ?

I agree about the rumours - we keep hearing all sorts of things that arent true (being a project virtually dependent on NE funding people get a bit nervous and likelyto jump to conclusions - paricularly as the rest of our funding is from highway authorities who are also facing cuts), so my view is that i'm not going to worry about it until the official word comes down.

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by eeyore

when did that happen gill, I thought you were with bioscan ?

I agree about the rumours - we keep hearing all sorts of things that arent true (being a project virtually dependent on NE funding people get a bit nervous and likelyto jump to conclusions - paricularly as the rest of our funding is from highway authorities who are also facing cuts), so my view is that i'm not going to worry about it until the official word comes down.

I became NE when I moved up to Peterborough in November (after getting married). But was also Baker Shepherd Gillespie inbetween

[SheffieldLass]

Just as long as they don't go for a name changing exercise just for the sake of it (as new governements/ministers are prone to do) and waste loads of money on that, when it would be much better spent on jobs which do something useful for the environment.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by SheffieldLass

Just as long as they don't go for a name changing exercise just for the sake of it (as new governements/ministers are prone to do) and waste loads of money on that, when it would be much better spent on jobs which do something useful for the environment.

they've already done that three times with NE

first they broke up the NCC forming the countryside commision and english nature in england (CCW in wales and SNH in scotland)

then they changed the name of the countyside commision to countryside agency

then they merged the countryside agency with english nature (and another body whose name escapes me) to make natural england

One rumour flying about is that they intend to merge NE, CCW, and SNH back into a new body, essentially reforming the NCC (and taking us back to the begining again) - but I dont know if there is any truth in that

Likewise the environment agency was formed out of a merger of the NRA and the HMIP - and there is a rumour that it is to merge with BW to be the environment and waterway agency - again no idea if thats true

certainly the new act the govt proposes (the quasi non govermental bodies act or some such) would give them the power to do that - but they have to get the act through parliment first which isnt a given, so i'm not hitting my panioc button just yet

[bee warrior]

Now that Natural England have finally settled down, once again, after the change from English Nature - it must be time for a change.

[Eryri]

Eeyore....I think the body you are thinking of was the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology.

The division between the Environment Agency Wales and the Countryside Commission for Wales, does have problems in terms of public perception. Most notable, is that 'wildlife' is not limited to the countryside. There are many former industrial sites in Wales that have reverted to a natural eco-system very worthy of protection. So. for example, in planning applications the views of the CCW carries more weight in traditionally rural areas, and not so much in former industrial sites where the Environment Agency can only provide specific objection limited to it's brief.

I do think this needs to be looked at, as I find it disturbing when out-of-town shopping centres are built on former industrial sites rich in flora and fauna which are bulldozed because the EAW says it's OK if you deal with flooding and stuff but representations from CCW on things like butterflies and bats are often dismissed because the site is not seen as being 'in the countryside'.

There have also been issues over things like 'muck spreading' and 'grazing policy' by farmers, where CCW act as an educator and involve farmers in a very positive way but EAW just give orders according to law but do not engage landowners in a positive way to assist in an eco-friendly business plan. Nice policeman, nasty policeman, comes to mind. The separation does cause expense and confusion for the rural community.

How does it work in England and Scotland ?