Restoring nature across the government estate – and beyond During London Climate Action Week, Defra published the Government Estate Nature Plan (GENP), the first plan of its kind globally, setting out how nature will be restored across government-owned land in England. In this …
My name is Anika Dowling, and I am a policy advisor in Defra’s Peat team. In this blog I’ll set out what each new scheme offers and how you can apply. In the Environmental Improvement Plan, we announced our new Peatland Programme for 2026 to 2030. This month, we’ve launched …
We have reached a significant milestone in implementing Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). Earlier this week the final biodiversity gain statements were formally laid in Parliament and are now available on GOV.UK. These statements are central to applying BNG to the NSIP regime and accompany the two statutory instruments in …
Over the past two years, Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) has started to change the way development and nature work together, and we’ve learned a huge amount from local authorities, developers and ecologists along the way. Last week, we published a set of updates that strengthen and streamline how BNG operates across the planning system. Read …
This month marks a significant milestone for soil, and in how we all can factor soils into our policy, research and decision making. The National Soil Map for England and Wales, alongside a range of additional LandIS datasets are now open.
Today the Government has published England’s first ever Land Use Framework, which shows how through smarter planning and the right data and tools communities, farmers, landowners and developers can make informed decisions about land use. In this post, we’ll set out everything you need to know about the framework.
Yesterday the government launched a major consultation on planning reform – building on our amends last year this will be the most fundamental rewrite of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) since its introduction over a decade ago. These reforms will create a clearer, more rules-based planning system, where developments that meet requirements can move forward with greater certainty. …
National Tree Week marks the opening of the tree planting season, and this year there is substantial progress to report. The theme, "A Future Filled with Trees," reflects our commitment to creating lasting environmental change. Communities across England will come together during National Tree Week to plant, protect, and celebrate trees that will stand for …
The National Estate for Nature group has taken an important step forward in its mission to drive nature recovery across England’s major estates. Read this post to find out more.
Today (Wednesday 5 November), the government announced the creation of the second of three new national forests in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. Read this blog post to find out more.
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About this blog
This blog is managed by Defra’s Nature Communications team.
On this blog, we share stories about our environmental work.
We cover topics including nature, water and biosecurity.
