Corporate report

Natural England action plan 2022 to 2023

Published 27 July 2022

Applies to England

Foreword

Nature recovery is gathering pace in this country, with increasingly co-ordinated efforts and ambitions across government, businesses, non-governmental organisations and communities.

At Natural England we are pleased to have secured increased investment for people and nature, to work with partners to realise those ambitions. Legislation including the Environment Act 2021 gives us many of the essential tools and targets, such as Biodiversity Net Gain, while the certainty provided by a 3-year settlement in the Spending Review means we can expand our workforce and programmes to do more for people and nature. With this momentum behind us, our goal for 2022/23 can be summed up in one word: delivery.

If we are to fulfil the aim of the 25 Year Environment Plan and be the first generation to leave the natural world in a better state than we found it, reversing biodiversity decline by 2030 in the process, this is the moment we all have to work together. We must grasp the opportunity. Making visible, tangible progress is crucial.

We are committed to achieving this through our 5-year strategy of building partnerships for nature’s recovery . This year marks the halfway point of this journey. We are strengthening existing relationships and forging new ones, working with the communities, landowners, land and sea managers, both rural and urban, marine and terrestrial, who share our desire to improve places, by improving nature. You will see our teams working ever more closely with locally based partners. After all, if we don’t recover nature in a place we don’t recover nature.

Important though this work undoubtedly is, the war and suffering in Ukraine can lead to questions about our immediate priorities. Nature, though, unites and sustains us all, as the debates about food and energy security remind us. Thriving nature is a vital part of the better world we all yearn to see.

COP 26 in Glasgow showed us that governments around the world are starting to understand this and take concerted action on the climate and biodiversity crises. There is growing acceptance of nature-based solutions, illustrating that we cannot tackle one crisis without tackling the other. The COP 15 biodiversity conference later this year will be an opportunity to reinforce that link. The work Natural England is embarking on this year will help the UK government to demonstrate delivery on a global stage.

At a local level, we bring our evidence and expertise together in a place and there are key initiatives that will drive progress. Working closely with Local Authorities, Local Nature Recovery Strategies will provide the framework for us to work with communities and businesses to bring high-quality nature much closer to people, tackling inequalities in access and improving lives.

A series of Nature Recovery projects will provide landscape-scale restoration that make a significant contribution to the Nature Recovery Network. Meanwhile, National Nature Reserves (NNRs), with the finest wildlife, habitat and geology, will be a priority for us as we seek to improve existing sites and designate a number of new ones. They can act as “battery packs” to power the Nature Recovery Network and we will celebrate their 70th anniversary this year with a Festival of NNRs.

This year will also see a focus on tackling barriers to nature to help people and communities engage with nature for their health and happiness. We will continue the establishment of the England Coast Path and embark on a new Coast to Coast National Trail. We will facilitate better design of places across local authorities in England through the publication of our green infrastructure standards. We are also delighted to be beginning a new programme of landscape designations. We look forward to supporting Defra to deliver on the protected landscapes review, building on our existing partnership with National Parks, and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs).

Natural England’s science and evidence will be at the heart of our advice to government in key areas such as refining the Agricultural Transition Plan and shaping the future of environmental delivery through the Nature Recovery Green Paper.

Our scope to deliver for nature and people is perhaps bigger this year than it has been for a decade or more – we look forward to working with you to achieve it.

Tony Juniper CBE
Chair

Marian Spain
Chief Executive

Thriving nature for people and planet

Our vision at Natural England, is of thriving nature for people and planet. Our ambition is not just to improve nature, but to see it thriving, everywhere, because a healthy natural environment is fundamental to everyone’s health, wealth and happiness.

Nature encompasses natural beauty, wildlife and the geology that underpins landscape character. It includes habitats on which our most precious species depend. Nature also includes our historic and cultural connections with nature - through art and literature - and other opportunities we have to connect with the environment. Nature also provides us with clean air and water and the ability to capture carbon and create resilience to climate change.

Our understanding of nature covers the whole natural world on earth and at sea and encompasses the natural environment in our towns and cities as well as the countryside. This was the scope upon which Natural England was founded and is set out in the legislation.

Building partnerships for nature’s recovery

Our mission is building partnerships for nature’s recovery. This reflects the need for us to work with and through a wide range of people. Nature needs all of us to take rapid action to rebuild sustainable ecosystems; to protect and restore biodiversity, habitats, species and landscapes for everybody to enjoy. Our mission is set within the context of the Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan.

Natural England is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) and we are part of the Defra group which is here to make our air purer, our water cleaner, our land greener and our food more sustainable. The Defra group mission is to restore and enhance the environment for the next generation, leaving it in a better state than we found it.

Our contribution to Defra’s priority outcomes

Natural England is a non-departmental public body (NDPB) and as part of the Defra group the work that we do contributes to the Defra outcome framework. Embedding our mission of building partnerships for nature’s recovery with stakeholders and staff is fundamental to ensuring that everything Natural England does contributes to Defra’s priority outcomes.

This plan encompasses the issues the Secretary of State has asked us to prioritise this year, including the Nature Recovery Network, investing in protected landscapes, levelling up through access to nature and supporting delivery of environmental land management schemes.

Organisational context

The Spending Review set out broad budgets for the next 3 financial years, allowing us to have more confidence in our longer-term direction and plans. 2022/23 will see an increase in Natural England’s budget to invest in nature’s recovery. In 2022/23 we will progress our mission to build partnerships for nature recovery and connecting people with nature by implementing new tools and funding as well as refocussing statutory work to maximise our impact.

In planning for 2022/23 we have focussed our resources on delivery of outcomes in places, working with and through others. Within Natural England we describe these as shifts. These priorities or shifts are designed to boost progress towards our five year aims set out in this Action Plan, maximising delivery of our vison and mission.

Headline organisational priorities for 2022/23

To drive the Nature Recovery Network

Developing and implementing new tools and funding for nature recovery and connecting people with nature. The Nature Recovery Network is the government’s commitment to nature recovery within the 25 Year Environment Plan, restoring sites, species and landscapes, rebuilding ecosystems across England. This delivers the concept of thriving nature, outlined in Sir John Lawton’s landmark 2010 ‘Making Space for Nature’ report.

To support and develop strategic plans for places

Delivering at a landscape scale, in the places where we can achieve the most impact. Our planning and licensing work will support robust strategic plans that accelerate nature recovery, working with our partners and stakeholders to create nature-rich, characterful places to live and work.

Tackle barriers to people connecting with nature

We will tackle barriers to enjoyment, engagement and connection with the natural environment by continuing to build our understanding of those barriers and working with communities facing the greatest environmental deprivation. An important part of that is making Natural England a more diverse organisation that represents the society we serve.

To be evidence and evaluation led

Investing in our evidence and expertise, we will design and embed evidence gathering and evaluation across the whole business so we can be confident to try new things, take risks, discover and lead.

We will deliver these priorities by:

• implementing new tools for nature recovery and connecting people with nature, at national and local scales

• strengthening our place-based delivery by investing in our area teams, flexibly and efficiently targeting our interventions to maximise our impact while taking a more integrated approach at national and local level to support place-based delivery

• continuing to work with and through our partners and forging new, more inclusive partnerships

• continuing to take a more strategic approach to interventions and regulatory advice to maximise impact and value for money for example by refocussing on high risk and high opportunity case work

• investing in our people, ensuring we are growing a diverse organisation and that our people have the skills and confidence to realise their potential

• investing in enabling functions through a programme and project management approach, aimed at increasing our cost recovery and developing investment opportunities to create new ways to deliver nature recovery and support our frontline delivery

As a result of making these priority shifts we will be:

• maximising the impact of our resources

• working more often in partnership, at a bigger scale and building more inclusive partnerships

• focussed more on landscape-scale improvement

• understanding better the barriers faced by communities to access nature and enhancing the places where people live and work

Our programmes

We plan our delivery through 4 strategic programmes:

Resilient Landscapes and Seas

• creating thriving, resilient, functioning landscapes and seas rich in plants, wildlife and character that provide wide ranging benefits for nature, climate and people.

Connecting People with Nature

• more people than ever in England are spending time outdoors and a majority of adults in England report that protection of the environment is important to them as a result. Our work will sustain that trend and focus on reforming key areas of Natural England’s local delivery, working in partnership to tackle barriers to nature.

Greener Farming and Fisheries

• sustainable farming and fisheries rely on a healthy natural environment. Food production and supply depends on healthy fish stocks, soils, water, air and natural processes. Addressing the causes of climate change and environmental degradation is now paramount; how we manage our land and seas is a major factor.

Sustainable Development

• the purpose of our sustainable development programme is to enable thriving wildlife populations, with beautiful landscapes and seascapes that are enjoyed by people whilst enabling society to prosper.

Which are underpinned by 2 supporting programmes:

Science and Evidence

• we will realise our ambition for Natural England to be an evidence-led organisation. We will be recognised, respected and trusted for our expertise and the provision of evidence-based advice on the natural environment, locally and nationally.

Managing the Organisation

• our aim is to be a values-led organisation which delivers excellent service standards to all partners, organisations and communities engaged in achieving nature’s recovery. Continuous learning and development for our people will maintain high levels of skill and expertise.

The outcomes that follow identify what we seek to achieve as we work towards delivering our 5-year aims.

High-level programme outcomes for 2022 to 2023

Resilient Landscapes and Seas

Practical delivery of the Nature Recovery Network on the ground including delivery on marine and terrestrial protected sites; a new approach to improving the condition of SSSIs; government priorities on species; and delivery of flagship nature recovery projects, including new National Nature Reserves.

New Environment Act measures such as Protected Sites Strategies, working in partnership with Local Authorities, on up to 50 Local Nature Recovery Strategies and work with Defra on species recovery targets.

Priority landscape tasks to implement government’s response to the Protected Landscapes (‘Glover’) recommendations and refresh our landscape leadership role, including a programme of new designations.

Contribute to net zero by continuing to deliver the trees and peat action plans and maximising the contribution of nature based solutions from nature recovery.

Connecting People With Nature

Joining up health planning and nature recovery at a local level, through our area-based plans and Green Social Prescribing partnership projects.

Supporting the better design of places across local authorities to address inequalities of access to green spaces near to where people live and work, including through completion of green infrastructure standards and continuing the establishment of the England Coast Path.

Developing approaches to engagement and helping tackle issues that prevent sections of society being able to access the outdoors, including promoting the Countryside Code via new partnerships.

Diversifying and expanding the range of voices Natural England listens to, and engages with, in our work and decision making.

Greener Farming and Fisheries

Delivering the Future Farm advice review recommendations including implementing the farm advice L&D plan; delivering more outcomes per agreement; and joined up planning across the farm advice programme to manage peaks of activity.

Protected sites casework reform including a different approach to low-risk casework; improving access to guidance and information for staff; and increasing our cost recovery through the Discretionary Advice Service.

Redefining our approach to scheme delivery as we start to deliver the new environmental land management schemes (Landscape Recovery phase 1 and Local Nature Recovery pilots).

Working across programmes to deliver more for clean air and water, for example, through government ambitions for water; the 2024 water industry price review; future schemes and flood and coastal erosion risk management.

Sustainable Development

Improvements to high risk / high opportunity statutory casework that deliver better environmental outcomes and reform of lower risk statutory planning and licensing casework, to enable us to achieve better results and customer service.

Improved advice to responsible authorities by building nature into strategic plans for places and embedding Green Infrastructure standards into development planning.

Biodiversity net gain and species conservation strategies – test and embed new tools (from the Environment Act) to support nature recovery.

Supporting sustainable development that delivers in communities for nature and climate, infrastructure, including an accelerated programme of offshore wind.

Science and Evidence

Modernising and updating our digital and data systems so that our best available evidence can inform place-based decision making.

Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment delivering a programme of monitoring including a new England habitat map, developing an England peat map, citizen science projects and 5 marine projects.

In partnership, developing a number of landscape scale sites to test nature-based solutions for climate change.

Supporting science and evidence capability for the whole of Natural England through the development of a technical learning hub and further embedding a culture of evaluation throughout the organisation.

Managing the Organisation

Investment in Natural England’s capacity to work with Defra on recruitment, procurement, people, including pay reform and equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), digital and communications and be leaders in climate change / reducing carbon.

Progress green finance work with Defra and others.

Keep our organisation and people safe at agreed levels of assurance and further invest in our health and safety teams.

Invest in our customer services and enquiry centre and continue to build relationships with our stakeholders and partners, bringing in their expertise to help us develop our work.

Continue with necessary change and reform, through the priority Shifts which will enable us to fully deliver on our ambitions.

Priority actions for 2022 to 2023

Resilient Landscapes and Seas

Nature recovery:

• expand the Nature Recovery Network delivery partnership

• deliver 12 landscape scale Nature Recovery projects with partners

• support responsible authorities in partnership with communities, to develop up to 50 Local Nature Recovery Strategies, enabling coordinated action and investment

Species recovery:

• increase action to meet species abundance targets through an expanded Species Recovery Programme and the new Environment Act powers

• develop a species recovery and reintroduction action plan

• provide technical expertise and support to the new species reintroductions task force

Protected sites:

• developing our people, continuously improving our evidence and therefore understanding of, current condition of protected sites, pressures affecting them and the best action to recover sites in dynamic ecosystems

• continue to reform our protected site processes to be more collaborative and focussed, including piloting the use of protected site strategies

• guided by the national nature reserve (NNR) strategy, increase focus on improving the condition of Natural England managed sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)

• celebrate 70 years of NNRs with our partners

• increase the number of ‘super NNRs’ as a central part of the Nature Recovery Network

Landscape:

• assess designating the Yorkshire Wolds and Cheshire Sandstone Ridge as new areas of outstanding natural beauty (AONB), extend the Surrey Hills and Chilterns AONBs

• implement our agreement with National Parks England and the National Association for AONBs, improving outcomes in places within and beyond their boundaries

• deliver actions from government’s response to the National Landscape consultation, including an environmental outcomes framework to inform National Park and AONB management plans

• design an indicator for assessing changes in landscape and waterscape character, supporting monitoring of the 25-year environment plan goals

• assess England’s landscape to inform future designation work; work cross-sector to develop alternative approaches that drive urban landscape improvements to support government’s levelling up agenda

Nature-based solutions and climate change:

• working with Forestry Commission, maximise contribution of the trees and peat action plans, towards the Nature Recovery Network and government’s net zero targets

• develop an organisational climate change strategy and implementation plan

• embed findings of Natural England’s climate change adaptation risk report in all our work

• improve understanding of how land management changes can support net zero targets, providing a strong evidence base for development of green financing options

Marine:

• improve condition of marine protected areas, working in local / national partnerships

• provide high quality advice that drives good management of the Marine Protected Area network. Continuously develop our expertise and maintain an evidence base to inform that management and conduct condition assessments to measure progress

• complete England Sea Bird Strategy with a technical report and recommendations to Defra

• Our ‘ReMEDIES’ project will expand knowledge internally and externally on seagrass restoration, carbon storage and improving existing habitats

Advice to Defra:

• developing environmental targets for air quality, water and biodiversity

• creation of a statutory cycle of monitoring, planning and reporting to ensure continuing improvement of the environment

• expanding means of enhancing marine recovery, including piloting Highly Protected Marine Areas

• review of the 25-year environment plan and establishment of the first Environmental Improvement Plan, including how targets agreed through the Convention of Biological Diversity can have the necessary impact

• advise on Environmental Regulations and legislative reform stemming from the Nature Recovery green paper

• support Office for Environmental Protection with its enforcement and scrutiny functions

Connecting People with Nature

Health and wellbeing:

• develop and showcase effective nature-based solutions in the cross-government Green Social Prescribing partnership pilots through our area teams

• support the development of policy and establishment of health partnerships across the Integrated care system

Tackling barriers to nature:

• deploy effective community engagement in local nature recovery, new partnership building and understanding local barriers to connecting with nature

• address the lack of diversity in the sector and Natural England’s staff body

• review our work on the Countryside Code to help new and diverse audiences form long lasting relationships with nature

• re-imagine our volunteering offer to enhance visitor experience on our NNRs

• continue to evolve our evidence base, through the People and Nature survey and development of Nature Connection tools

Access to the outdoors:

• support better design of places across local authorities to enhance the Nature Recovery Network - and inequalities of access to green spaces near to where people live and work, through the publication of Green Infrastructure standards

• demonstrate how trails and access to the outdoors can be adapted to deliver wider social, health and economic benefits, working with planning authorities and communities

• continue the submission of proposals for the England Coast Path and celebrate the opening of stretches of the path

• commence establishment of the Coast to Coast National Trail developing a design and partnership approach to engagement that addresses cultural and economic barriers

Greener Farming and Fisheries

Future farming:

• provide technical guidance and policy advice on the design of schemes described in the Agricultural Transition Plan, including drafting Environmental Standards for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and advice to support the SFI pilot on SSSIs

• advise on the design and introduction of Landscape Recovery and Local Nature Recovery; provide expertise as a panel member for the Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme

Farm advice:

• plan and deliver Natural England’s farm advice as a single programme, to maximise synergies between Countryside Stewardship, Catchment Sensitive Farming, SSSI casework and Farm and Land Management Advice (FaLMA)

SSSI regulation and enforcement:

• implement recommendations to improve delivery of protected sites casework

Fisheries:

• provide evidence and policy advice to help deliver the new Fisheries Management Plan and an ecosystem approach to fisheries

• provide environmental advice to inform fisheries bye-laws for Marine Protected Areas

Chemicals, air and water:

• support government ambitions for water and long-term solutions for chemicals, air and water such as protected sites strategies. Embed water and air in emerging work areas such as Local Nature Recovery Strategies, future farming scheme development, strategic plans for places and influencing large water budgets

Sustainable Development

Development management:

• meet the service standards on high-risk casework whilst reforming lower risk casework

• further digitise our development management services, enabling better customer service

• develop strategic solutions to deliver better environmental outcomes for development and communities

• develop a revised approach to marine planning via spatial prioritisation

• delivery of offshore wind casework and strategic solutions, building relationships with the commercial sector, and maximising cost recovery for the tax-payer

Strategic plans for places:

• provide tools to enable our area teams to deliver integrated advice to partners, through strategic plans in places and deliver improved environmental outcomes through related green growth

• embedding green infrastructure standards into development planning

Biodiversity net gain:

• support Defra to implement an approach to biodiversity net gain (BNG) that delivers nature recovery ambitions when mandated

• design and operate a digital register that provides trust and assurance into BNG system

• develop a simple, effective, well-received statutory credits scheme, incorporating a sales service and investment strategy

• develop net gain concept for marine environment

• establish robust monitoring and evaluation, threading to other reporting requirements and Environment Act targets

Species regulation:

• explore expansion of strategic licensing through pilot of species conservation strategies

• meet services standards and secure positive outcomes in high impact casework whilst streamlining lower impact licensing

• build flexible capability to meet demand

Science and evidence

Best available evidence:

• manage significant investment in digital and data systems to stabilise, develop and collaborate on underpinning and future platforms creating a fit for purpose service layer for core underpinning data, geospatial and analytical purposes

• commission a portfolio of evidence projects delivering research, monitoring and analysis to address immediate evidence priorities of our programmes

• invest in technologies such as Earth Observation and field-based science and data science techniques to find better ways of collecting and using data

• provide data science and analytical leadership to find strategic solutions for evidence needs and to inform project design and practical delivery

• maintain a science and evidence infrastructure that is cross-cutting, accessible for all and capable of supporting forward looking investigations and experimentation

Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA):

• lead delivery of terrestrial and marine Natural Capital and Ecosystem Assessment programmes, providing high-quality time-series data on biodiversity, ecosystems and natural capital, on land and sea

• lead terrestrial NCEA workstreams for: habitat mapping and earth observation, (species) data mobilisation and integration, England ecosystem survey development, citizen science, peat mapping and state of natural capital reporting

• lead marine NCEA projects for: place-based decision making at different scales using natural capital approach, inshore fish monitoring, inshore benthic monitoring, inshore birds monitoring, inshore cetaceans monitoring

Evaluation and capability building:

• further embed an evaluation culture across Natural England supported by standards, quality assurance, guidance and training

• implement findings from social science led work on evidence cultures

• develop a framework for career progression and professionalisation using the findings of the capability baselining and benchmarking research projects

• design core elements for the science and technical skills hub as part of the Natural England skills academy and pilot elements of the science and technical skills

• scope opportunities for accreditation of our in-house training

Strategic science and evidence:

• continuing our shift to an evidence-led organisation, through the mechanisms of our science, evidence and evaluation strategy, our cross-cutting science and evidence programme and the evidence and specialist advice commissioned through programmes

• continued horizon scanning / strategic futures to monitor long-term change in external contexts and identify emerging challenges, high risk cases, potential solutions and partnerships

• further develop DNA-based methods for monitoring, assessing and managing the environment

• build a common understanding of the role of restoration of natural ecosystem function in nature recovery and how to build it into workstream activities

• use social science to understand the barriers to interdisciplinary working, improving integration of social science across our delivery

• develop and pursue research and innovation science and evidence partnerships

• prepare a State of Natural Capital report, embed natural capital evidence in programmes, incorporate indicators and provide economic advice for green finance mechanisms

Managing the organisation

Corporate governance and planning:

• we will continue to keep our people and organisation safe at agreed levels of assurance and to deliver good governance for the organisation

• build staff and organisational capability to provide staff with the skills, resources and inclusive working environment to enable them to achieve nature’s recovery

• we will invest in our partnership work with Defra to ensure a fit-for-purpose operating model for our corporate services to deliver shared services, with flexibility to meet our specific organisational needs where that is justified

• continue to improve our planning processes to ensure that we have a clear focus on the longer-term outcomes we seek for the natural environment and for people

• continue to demonstrate outcomes and their value to our stakeholders, describing the link between our shorter-term activities and longer-term ambitions

Transformation and change:

• continue to drive and embed change to deliver Natural England’s 4 key shifts:

  1. To drive the Nature Recovery Network.

  2. To develop strategic plans for places.

  3. To tackle barriers to nature.

  4. To be evidence and evaluation led.

• work with partners to bring further funding into the sector to drive change in green finance and best deliver for the organisation and the natural environment

Our people:

• we will invest in our health and safety and wellbeing to ensure our staff have the skills and resources and safe working environment to enable transformational change in nature

• progress the commitments made in Natural England’s people strategy, building staff and organisational capability ensuring we are diverse and inclusive in all we do

Ways of working:

• invest in our customer services and enquiry centre to deliver high quality, valued support to Natural England’s customers and partners

• build relationships with our partners and stakeholders to continue to build the profile and reputation of Natural England

• refine the way we work with stakeholders and partners to bring more of their expertise into the way we develop the work that we do

• we will invest and lead with integrity to be leaders in climate change/reducing carbon

Our people

Our people are at the heart of our work. Our highly-skilled people are passionate about the work we do, working in a variety of professions, specialisms, roles and locations. Wellbeing, development and making Natural England a great place to work are central to the way we work.

Our people strategy has 3 high level aspirations for our people:

• people are supported, encouraged and valued throughout their journey with Natural England - from recruitment, throughout their career at Natural England

• people work inclusively, able to make the most of the diversity within Natural England and respectful of colleagues for who they are

• our leaders deliver the highest standards of leadership to sustain a highly motivated and engaged workforce

Underpinning our people strategy is the workforce strategy, which is designed to ensure we deliver the right people with the right skills, at the right time and place, and most importantly, in accordance with our organisation values of:

• we are ambitious

• we act with integrity

• we are inclusive

• we are collaborative

Central to delivering all our work is the wellbeing of our staff, making sure that we are not putting undue stress on our staff by trying to deliver more than our resources will allow. Recruitment activity undertaken this year, and still ongoing, will ensure we are better placed to deliver than in 2021 to 2022. Additionally, more money is being invested in our learning and development budget for 2022 to 2023, acknowledging the growing range of skills of new recruits and existing staff.

We also continue our staff framework and pay reform project to ensure that everyone in Natural England is given the right level of remuneration for the essential with the work they do and that we can recruit and reward the people we need.

Our finances

Our total planned funding for 2022 to 2023 is £261.6 million, of which £179.7 million is revenue and £82.0 million is capital. This equates to a 34% increase compared to total planned funding for 2021 to 2022.

• 91% of our funding is Grant in Aid (GIA) provided by Defra

• 9% of our funding is from non-government sources which includes fees, charges, external partnership funding and other smaller income streams

• we continue our endeavours to increase our chargeable income and will be looking at exploring further opportunities to extend this over the next 2 years of the comprehensive spending review period

Our budget by funding stream

Income type	Percentage of funding
Revenue Grant in Aid	59
Capital Grant in Aid	32
Fees and charges	2
District level licensing - newts	2
External partnership funding	4
Other income	1

Our budget by expenditure type

Planned expenditure for 2022 to 2023 is allocated to priorities through our business planning.

Payment type	Percentage of expenditure
Pay	49.3
Staff related costs	2.2
Running costs	3
Programme	15.5
Depreciation	1.3
Capital programme	28.7

Our budget breakdown by strategic programme

Programme	Percentage of expenditure
Resilient Landscapes and Seas	35
Connecting People with Nature	7
Greener Farming and Fisheries	18
Sustainable Development	24
Science and Evidence	8
Managing the Organisation	7

Our resources

The tables below set out how our budget and staff resource (FTE) are utilised across the 6 programmes and the work areas within these programmes.

Resilient Landscapes and Seas

Work area	Revenue (£’m)	Capital (£’m)	FTEs
Landscape heritage and geodiversity	2.6		42
Marine system	2.0		43
Nature based solutions	2.3	13.8	56
Nature Recovery Network (inc. externally funded projects)	12.0	3.6	132
Protected sites and NNRs	14.3	18.9	275
Climate change	0.4	0.1	10
LNRs	2.5		54
Species recovery	3.5	5.2	58
Strategy development (inc. Green Paper)	1.9		41
RLS programme governance	0.4		7
Total	41.9	41.6	717

Connecting People with Nature

Work area	Revenue (£’m)	Capital (£’m)	FTEs
Tackling barriers to nature	0.5		13
Access to the outdoors (incl. Green Infrastructure)	6.0	6.7	76
People and Nature survey	0.8		9
Engagement and volunteering reform	1.6	0.1	31
Health and wellbeing	1.5	0.1	41
CPWN programme governance	0.3		5
Total	10.6	6.9	175

Greener Farming and Fisheries

Work area	Revenue (£’m)	Capital (£’m)	FTEs
Farm advice	23.8	3.4	471
Future Farming	6.0	0.2	100
Fisheries and aquaculture	1.1		25
Chemicals, air and water	2.6	1.8	61
SSSI casework and enforcement	4.0	0.2	117
GFF programme governance	0.4		8
Total	37.9	5.5	782

Sustainable Development

Work area	Revenue (£’m)	Capital (£’m)	FTEs
Development management (inc. reform)	17.7	1.3	337
Strategic Plans for Places	3.4		68
Net Gain	7.9	5.5	104
Species regulation (inc. reform)	18.9	0.2	260
SD digital		2.5	7
SD programme governance	0.9		15
Total	48.8	9.5	792

Science and Evidence

Work area	Revenue (£’m)	Capital (£’m)	FTEs
Best available evidence	2.4	5.0	68
Strategic science and evidence	1.3	3.0	28
Learning through Evaluation	0.2		5
Building technical capability	0.1		3
Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment		5.8	86
SEE strategy and programme governance	2.1		12
Total	6.1	13.8	202

Managing the Organisation (MTO)

Work area	Revenue (£’m)	Capital (£’m)	FTEs
Corporate governance (inc. organisational leadership)	4.0	2.9	75
Corporate services interface	2.7		65
Customer support	0.6		16
External affairs	0.5		12
Health and safety	0.7		19
Net zero	0.1		2
Legal	0.2		4
PMO and DCI	1.3		35
Transformation and external funding	2.8	1.5	50
MTO programme governance	0.2		4
Total	13.1	4.4	281

The table below provides a summary of the resource across the programmes.

Programme	Revenue (£’m)	Capital (£’m)	FTEs
Resilient Landscapes and Seas	41.9	41.6	717
Connecting People With Nature	10.6	6.9	175
Greener Farming and Fisheries	37.9	5.5	782
Sustainable Development	48.8	9.5	792
Science and Evidence	6.1	13.8	202
Managing the Organisation	13.1	4.4	281
Corporate running costs / staff overheads	17.8	0.3	31
Depreciation	3.5
Total	179.7	82.0	2,980

The resource information in the above tables translates to a resource profile across our Chief Officer groupings as set out below.

Programme budget by Chief Officer group:

Programme	Percentage of expenditure
Operations	41
Strategy and Government Advice	36
Chief Scientist Directorate	18
Legal, Governance and External Affairs	2
Business Management and Change	2
Programme teams	1

Staff resource by Chief Officer group:

Programme	Percentage of resource
Operations	61
Strategy and Government Advice	13
Chief Scientist Directorate	16
Legal, Governance and External Affairs	3
Business Management and Change	5
Programme teams	2

Assuring delivery of the plan

The Natural England Board

As a non-departmental public body (NDPB) we are led by a board appointed by the Secretary of State for Defra. The Board has collective responsibility for the overall performance and success of Natural England. It ensures Natural England carries out its statutory duties; delivers its priorities as agreed with the Secretary of State; is properly and effectively managed and provides stewardship for the public funds entrusted to it. The Board comprises the Chairman and ten other members appointed on an individual basis and not as representatives of any organisations, plus the Chief Executive as an ex-officio member. The Chairman is also an ex-officio member of the Defra Board.

The Natural England Executive

Natural England’s Chief Executive reports to the Chairman of the Natural England Board and has responsibility for maintaining a sound system of risk management, governance and control that supports the achievement of the policies, aims and objectives of Natural England, whilst safeguarding the public funds, as the accounting officer, in accordance with responsibilities assigned through managing public money.

The Executive Committee comprises the Chief Executive and 5 Chief Officers. Its purpose is to assist the Chief Executive in discharging her responsibilities as delegated to her by the Board and providing overall leadership by setting plans, reviewing performance and overseeing resourcing.

Performance reporting

As a public body we are required to report on progress against our plan to Defra, Ministers, and the public. Effective reporting provides us with:

• evidence to justify actions and for allocating resources

• information needed for improvements in practices, processes, activities, and systems

• performance data demonstrating public accountability, transparency and value for public money

Throughout the year we monitor and report our delivery progress against our key performance indicators via a series of reports:

• Chief Executive performance report to Board - we report quarterly to our Board. The Chief Executive Report sets out how we are performing against all our key performance indicators and a brief narrative on the progress of each indicator.

• Defra Board – we contribute to the Defra Board report through contributions to the outcome delivery plan headline indicators.

• Ministerial performance review - these reviews take place twice a year providing a performance review with the Secretary of State. We discuss the performance of our KPIs as well as a range of other current issues.

Risk management

Natural England is required to have robust processes in place for the management of risk. The National Audit Office scrutinises our risk management arrangements through our governance statement and our annual report and accounts to assure that risk management arrangements are in place and in accordance with HM Treasury guidance. Our approach to risk management aims to ensure:

• increased confidence in achieving our outcomes

• threats are constrained to acceptable levels

• decisions take informed decisions about exploiting opportunities; and providing

• stakeholders can have increased confidence in our corporate governance and ability to deliver

Risks are continuously reviewed across the business, from individual teams to the Natural England Board, including a horizon scan to identify emerging risks and opportunities. The key requirement of these reviews is to ensure the ongoing ability of Natural England to respond appropriately to any emerging situation while maintaining critical business as usual activities. Our internal audit plan takes account of the key risks and provides assurance on the effectiveness of risk management, internal control and governance to Natural England’s accounting officer and the Audit and Risk Assurance committee, chaired by a Natural England Board member.

Measuring success

To enable us to report our performance and to help us monitor progress in any business year, we monitor our progress against agreed 5 year key performance indicators (KPIs) and associated progress indicators (PIs) and related targets. These are supported by more in-depth management information (MI) for some areas such as casework, where standards and response times apply.

We have been undertaking a review of our 5 year key performance indicators and associated measures of success, to ensure they reflect our current priorities and will enable us to report progress against our and the government’s objectives. A new set of KPIs and measures of success will replace the existing set of KPIs and PIs during 2022 to 2023.

Meanwhile we will monitor progress against the new agreed KPIs and a reduced set of existing PIs which are listed in the performance scorecard. Overall progress against each PI will be monitored and assessed throughout the year, using the metrics identified.

Performance scorecard for 2022 to 2023

Key performance indicators (KPI)	2022 to 2023 progress indicators (PIs)	2022 to 2023 metrics
We restore and enhance the health of our ecosystems and the natural beauty of our landscapes by increasing the area and improving the character, quality, resilience and connectivity of wildlife-rich places.	A growing set of national and local partners and partnerships, actively supporting the growth of the Nature Recovery Network. Improve confidence in our sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) data and information to support delivery of the 25 Year Environment Plan goal to get 75% of SSSIs into favourable condition. Natural England’s marine advice and regulation is driving Good Environmental Status (GES) across our Marine Protected Area network and wider seas. New Landscape Designations programme approved and being implemented. The area of land in current agri-environment schemes is maintained and contributes to net zero and 25-Year Environment Plan goals.	New commitments made by partners to deliver 150,000 hectares of wildlife rich habitat supporting delivery of the Nature Recovery Network. 12 landscape scale areas for nature recovery and nature-based solutions have been identified with plans in place for delivery. Update 2000 features at a unit scale with a Common Standards Monitoring (CSM) compliant assessment. Complete 5 Protected Site Strategy pilots by March 2023. 100 marine condition assessments delivered by area teams by March 2023. Complete the England Sea Bird Strategy with a technical report and recommendations to Defra (by the agreed revised deadline) Deliver the new designations programme as agreed by NE Board, (4 AONB designations, 2 new and 2 extensions) Undertake technical assessment of all eligible Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications (circa 450), and 2,240 HLS agreement extensions. Develop the highest scoring Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications with the applicant.
We increase the abundance of species that are indicative of the wider health of the natural environment and reduce the number under threat of extinction.	Licensing improves the conservation status of protected species. Increase in the number of species benefiting from recovery projects.	Create/restore a minimum of 1000 ponds for great crested newts through District Level Licensing in 2022/23. From the baseline, we will increase the number of species benefitting from species recovery projects under the Species Recovery Programme.
We increase the number and representation of people engaged with nature and nature recovery.	An increasing proportion of people (adults and children) have access to good quality natural green spaces close to home. Nature is embedded in Social Prescribing National Delivery Model.	Using the Green Infrastructure framework, engage with 20 LAs to support levelling up access to nature in areas of greatest need (or highest deprivation). Issue over 1000 green social prescriptions, reported through the Green Social Prescribing projects.
We work with a wider range of local partners and diverse communities to create wildlife-rich, accessible, and characterful places for people to live and work.	Local Nature Recovery Strategies developed to deliver more for nature and the public’s connection with it. Nature recovery is accelerated through Natural England’s provision of integrated advice to key partners on their strategic plans for places. Develop strategic solutions to deliver better outcomes for nature from development. Biodiversity Net Gain contributes to nature recovery.	48 Responsible Authorities supported with evidence and expertise to develop Local Nature Recovery Strategies in line with secondary legislation and published statutory guidance. Deliver integrated advice offer in all 12 area teams and develop 6 accelerated place-based exemplars. Up to 25 LPAs have a local plan policy or locally agreed mechanism in place (or agreed) to support the implementation of a strategic solution. Progress in implementing strategic solutions to support the acceleration of offshore wind. Identify and plan 200 hectares of sites for net gain credits
We provide expert evidence, advice and leadership to drive positive changes in the natural environment.	The Natural Capital Ecosystem Assessment (NCEA) Programme will develop and pilot a range of techniques to gather quality data on the location of natural capital assets on land and at sea. A high-quality service to our customers and meet our response obligations.	Deliver the five agreed projects in line with project plans milestones to end of March 2023. Carry out field data collection and reporting on marine bird populations, inshore fish, cephalopods and benthic habitats in priority sites by end of March 2023. 80% of statutory casework delivered within published timescales
We invest in the wellbeing, development, and diversity of our staff so that Natural England remains a great place to work.	Improvements in key areas of engagement, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing. We provide and maintain a safe working environment, work practices, equipment and facilities. We have a good understanding of our entire carbon footprint and have agreed long-term steps to make further reductions. Natural England is working inclusively, and staff body is representative of society.	Employee engagement index rises to 65% to exceed 2021 benchmark. 80% of staff respond positively to ‘I believe my organisation cares about my wellbeing. Improve our Near Hit ratio by 10% based on 2021/22 performance. §5% improvement (based on 2021/22) on the number of investigations completed within 10 days. Measure, monitor and report emissions data to help identify and evaluate where our decarbonisation efforts will have the greatest impact (informed by our 2019/20 baseline). Increase percentage of Natural England staff from ethnic minority backgrounds

Annex 1: our 5 year aims (2020 to 2025)

Underpinning our vision and mission are our five-year aims which contribute to achievement of the Defra group’s priority outcomes.

1. A well-managed Nature Recovery Network across land, water and sea delivering resilient ecosystems rich in wildlife and character, enjoyed by people and widely benefitting society.

2. People connected to the natural environment for their own and society’s wellbeing, enjoyment and prosperity.

3. Nature-based solutions contributing fully to tackling the climate change challenge and wider environmental hazards and threats.

4. Improvements in the natural capital that drives sustainable economic growth, healthy food systems and prospering communities.

5. Evidence and expertise is used by a broad range of partnerships, organisations and communities to achieve nature recovery and enable effective regulation and accreditation.

6. Being a values-led organisation which delivers excellent service standards to all partners, organisations and communities engaged in achieving nature’s recovery.

Annex 2: 5-year aims by programme

Resilient Landscapes and Seas

Building upon our legacy of protected sites and designated landscapes, our ambition is to connect, restore and create distinctive and nature-rich places across urban and rural areas, on land, water and sea.

• we will establish a Nature Recovery Network of wildlife-rich places across England, dealing with the triple challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change and wellbeing. With the national Nature Recovery Network delivery partnership, we will inspire and support action

• we will work at scale to tackle the climate crisis through bigger, more resilient and connected habitats, embedding nature-based solutions, helping wildlife and people to adapt to a changing climate, contributing to net zero through carbon capture and storage

• we will support those responsible authorities in partnership with communities and others in the Defra group to develop Local Nature Recovery Strategies, promoting coordinated action and targeted investment in nature recovery

• through a reform programme, more protected sites will be in favourable condition, with their resilient biodiversity and geodiversity driving the Nature Recovery Network. We will trial Protected Sites Strategies to address the most complex threats facing these sites

• our expertise will inform a well-managed network of marine protected areas aiming to secure Good Environmental Status for our seas. We will support Defra to establish Highly Protected Marine Areas focused on protection and recovery of marine ecosystems

• we will develop NNRs as exemplary sites for nature recovery across England, working with partners to further research and inspire others

• we will further revitalise our role as government’s landscape adviser, enabling England’s landscapes to deliver more for people and nature

• we will increase the abundance of species that indicate the health of the environment; reducing the number under threat of extinction and continue collaborative species reintroduction partnerships

• we will advise government on what is needed to be an international leader in nature recovery and climate change; we will drive reforms via our response to the Nature Recovery Green Paper and implementation of new powers from the Environment Act

• refreshed monitoring and evaluation of the character and resilience of our landscapes and seas and how and why they are changing, will continuously inform this programme

Connecting People with Nature

Natural England’s Connecting People with Nature programme will focus on delivering transformative change to tackle barriers to nature. Aiming for everyone to be able to enjoy nature’s benefits and act for the environment, wherever they live.

The 5-year programme aims are unchanged. We captured evidence of impact from our People and Nature survey during the Covid-19 pandemic, increasing this to monthly reporting over the past 12 months. This has taught us how much people need green and blue spaces yet contrasts with a harsh reality; the extent of inequalities of being able to access those outdoor spaces. This evidence helps shape our priorities for this programme, focused around: health and wellbeing, social inclusion and education, community engagement and access to the outdoors.

We will continue to work cross-sector to support, and where appropriate lead, initiatives that tackle unequal access to nature and facilitate a continued growth in the diversity of people enjoying nature. We will seek new, mutually supportive partnerships with groups that are already trusted with new audiences nationally and locally in communities. We know that this amplifies messages, brings authenticity and importantly, breaks down barriers to help new audiences maintain and strengthen their connection with nature.

The programme is comprised of both macro projects that seek to broaden the relevance and value to society’s health and wellbeing of spending time in nature, to focussed local delivery initiatives that look to tackle barriers in specific geographies as part of strategic local planning within our area teams. The local delivery work embraces the needs of people and places in nature recovery, thus bringing the benefits of nature recovery closer to where people live and work.

Working in this way, our programme is delivering these specific 5-year aims:

• more people connected with and acting for the natural environment

• more people spending time in nature

• more people benefitting from the natural environment

• better quality accessible nature-rich places close to where people live

• better access to high quality nature further afield

• more resilient environment that protects people from environmental harms. For example, flooding and air pollution

Greener Farming and Fisheries

We will make full use of our expertise in advice, delivery and evidence, whilst recognising the importance of our regulatory role. We will work with government, businesses, our partners and other stakeholders, to help achieve the objectives of the 25 Year Environment Plan.

The reforms of agriculture and fisheries set out in legislation provide an opportunity to achieve a step change in environmental improvement from sustainable land management and achieving good environmental status for our wider seas.

For fisheries, that means measuring sustainability beyond just the impacts on target stock and ensuring the establishment of marine by-laws that contribute to environmental outcomes in marine protected areas.

Our expertise will be central to development of future farming and fisheries policy and delivery. We will:

• advise Defra and wider government as they develop new policy for farmers and fishers that contribute to the achievement of 25 Year Environment Plan goals and incentivise delivery of a well-managed Nature Recovery Network

• provide environmental advice for fisheries and aquaculture management to regulators that is used to drive sustainable fishing and environmental improvements, including bye-law advice to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO)

• maximise protection and recovery of marine ecosystems both in and outside marine protected areas

• advise across government to ensure a new, progressive regulatory regime

• advise Defra on the design and rollout of future land management schemes, working with the protected landscape family and other partners to ensure future schemes are ambitious, impacts are evaluated and land managers supported during pilots phases

• play a major role in the delivery of environmental advice to realise the potential of landscape recovery and local nature recovery schemes

• provide advice to customers and the Rural Payments Agency on Countryside Stewardship higher tier applications, enabling delivery of high-quality environmental outcomes

• enable greater environmental gains through strategic casework and advice, promoting nature-based solutions and developing them with our delivery partners

• improve quality of advice given to land and sea managers including through the identification of appropriate standards and possible accreditation of third-party advisers

• embed improving natural capital into farm and fishing business decision making, with improvements that deliver through evidence-based advice and the new incentive systems

Sustainable Development

Our sustainable development programme encompasses our advisory and regulatory work on planning for housing and infrastructure initiatives on land and at sea, and all our species licensing work. It includes strategic initiatives such as district level licensing and net gain, linking to local natural capital planning and urban greening.

This programme provides significant opportunities to deliver the 25 Year Environment Plan ambitions in communities, through more effective use of our planning and licensing levers. The Environment Act provides the new tools of biodiversity net gain, protected sites strategies and species conservation strategies that can achieve sustainable development and nature recovery hand in hand. We have a powerful remit combining our regulatory role with our ability to convene partnerships. Planning for nature’s recovery, health and wellbeing and climate change will be vital as the demands on land grow. Over the next 3 years we will develop stronger long-term partnerships with planning authorities to enable this. Our species licensing work will focus on securing the best outcomes for species recovery – helping to maintain and enhance species populations as a contribution to the 2030 species abundance targets.

The government has described its plans to Build Back Better and Build Back Greener and has published its Levelling Up white paper. We are working with government to apply the Environment Act tools alongside planning reforms. We can play an ever more influential role as a regulator and partnership builder, delivering for the environment and people. To do this we will:

• ensure all developments provide measurably more biodiversity than before they were built, by taking a Biodiversity Net Gain approach to all our advice, creating a framework for this important national initiative

• change our planning advice so that nature is considered at the design phase, providing high environmental quality development and greater certainty for developers

• work creatively in partnership to prevent breaches of environmental limits, for example of water or air pollution, on protected habitats, whilst enabling sustainable development

• change our wildlife licensing approach, to work at strategic level, streamlining the service while safeguarding the most vulnerable species and increasing conservation benefits

• help people and businesses deal with complex issues by ensuring that our advice reconciles policy objectives related to carbon, flooding, trees and biodiversity

• help to level up the social inequality underlined by coronavirus by using green space and nature to build back greener

• focus on high risk/high opportunity casework in both planning and licensing, reforming our approach for lower risk work, enabling others to make more decisions themselves

Science and Evidence

The quality of our advice, actions, and the legality of our decisions depends upon our use of sound evidence. This includes understanding how and why the natural world is changing, identifying and enhancing areas of high environmental value, advising on the design of future land management schemes and creating opportunities for people and nature to thrive.

By using innovative techniques and technologies we will develop our reputation as leaders in applied environmental science. It will allow us to deliver nature recovery, led by the evidence, maintaining and expanding the knowledge base underpinning our work, and learning from evaluation will help us to make a more compelling case for investment in nature recovery.

Fostering a culture where high quality science and evidence is celebrated as at the heart of what we do and how we do it, is key to delivering Natural England’s vision. Through our programme of cross-cutting science and evidence we will set standards, assure quality, lead culture change, seek innovation and establish partnerships to meet the challenges presented by understanding environmental change and what works for nature recovery.

We will:

• use science and evidence to identify strategic opportunities, priorities and innovation. We will be recognised as a trusted leader in applied environmental sciences, advancing understanding of environmental change and what works for nature recovery through the exemplary development and application of science, evidence and evaluation

• ensure that the best available evidence is central to all our work by ensuring high quality, relevant and up-to-date evidence and scientific knowledge is readily available and is being actively, appropriately, and confidently applied to direct and support nature recovery

• use evaluation across the breadth of our business to understand our impact and how effectively we are working. We will be a learning organisation by using this knowledge to improve and integrate what we do, with better outcomes for people, nature, and planet

• invest in science, evidence and evaluation capability to develop a diverse and resilient specialist and technical expert cohort, enabling Natural England to draw on in-house expertise across its remit, while continually improving our evidence base

Managing the Organisation

Natural England cannot deliver all the ambitions and commitments in this action plan on our own. In delivering our mission - building partnerships for nature’s recovery - we will work in a way that encourages, enables and amplifies the contributions of others.

As a public sector body, we will reflect the full range of obligations and standards of the public sector. Specifically, we need to adhere to the regulatory and legal requirements placed on non-departmental public bodies.

We will deliver against these objectives:

• we will be trusted, respected and inclusive in our collaboration with those engaged in nature’s recovery

• we will be ambitious in securing additional funding and support for nature’s recovery

• we will reflect our vision and mission by reducing the environmental impact of our own operation and be leaders in climate change/reducing carbon.

• we will invest in our people to develop a capable, agile, engaged and diverse workforce

• ensure we operate with integrity to keep staff and visitors safe, using public money safely and using data and information in line with regulatory requirements and best practice

• we listen to our customers and strive to provide a timely and responsive service