'English Nature' was the
United Kingdom government agency that promoted the
conservation of
wildlife,
geology and wild places throughout
England between 1990 and 2006. It was a
non-departmental public body funded by the
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and gave statutory advice, grants and licences.
Following a review by
Lord Haskins, enacted in the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006
[1] in March 2006, English Nature ceased to exist in October 2006. It was integrated with parts of both the
Rural Development Service and the
Countryside Agency from
1 October 2006, to form a new body called
Natural England.
The
Nature Conservancy Council (NCC) (formerly the Nature Conservancy) was established to cover
nature conservation issues across the whole of
Great Britain in
1948 by an
Act of Parliament, the
National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1948. The NCC was split into four by the
Environmental Protection Act 1990, its
English duties being given to English Nature. In
Scotland, its functions were merged with those of the
Countryside Commission to form
Scottish Natural Heritage, and similarly in
Wales there was a merger to form the
Countryside Council for Wales. An overarching, but much smaller body, the
Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), oversaw all three agencies. The English functions of the Countryside Commission went to the newly-formed
Countryside Agency.
English Nature worked closely with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and the equivalent bodies for
Scotland (
Scottish Natural Heritage),
Wales (
Countryside Council for Wales) and
Northern Ireland (
Environment and Heritage Service) to bring a consistent approach to
nature conservation throughout the
UK and towards fulfilling its international obligations.
External links
★
Natural England
★
National Nature Reserves
References
1. Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006