Cuts at the quango could result in further delays within England’s planning system, while also jeopardising work to protect rivers and deliver nature restoration, experts have warned.
The environmental sector is bracing for the announcement of further cuts as part of the upcoming Spending Review, as the Chancellor limits public spending to keep within her self-imposed borrowing rules.
The body, which plays a crucial role in approving planning applications, saw its annual budget cut for the first time in five years this year, reducing by 4 per cent to £318m.
As a first measure Natural England has launched a “voluntary exit” scheme, a process in the Civil Service that allows staff to apply to leave in exchange for a severance payment.
Richard Benwell, chief executive at Wildlife and Countryside Link, warned that cuts to Natural England were coming at a time when the watchdog’s role was “more important than ever”.
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The watchdog is also responsible for designating and monitoring sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) and works with farmers to deliver environmental schemes.
In a recent report Natural England said it was asked to make decisions on 20,503 planning applications in 2023-24 and missed the deadlines on 1,692 (8 per cent).
The union Prospect has previously warned that Natural England is losing experienced staff due to poor pay, affecting its ability to meet its regulatory duties.
Natural England will be responsible for delivering a new Nature Restoration Fund, which will use payments from developers to deliver nature restoration schemes across the country.
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“Natural England is a key steward of the UK’s natural infrastructure and environmental capital. It’s time for investment, not cuts,” Benwell said.
“Natural England have particular responsibility for protected sites – the most valuable areas for nature – and they need the capacity to stop damage to these sites and to plan and deliver improvements to their condition.”
The bodies that manage England’s national parks are expecting a 9 per cent cut in Defra funding from April and the Peak District National Park Authority has already said redundancies are probable.
Defra was one of the few departments that saw its day-to-day spending cut in real terms by Rachel Reeves during the Autumn Budget.
The environmental sector is fearful that budgets could be slashed further as part of the Spending Review, which is expected in June and will set out departmental budgets for the next four years.
“It’s been said that we get the environment we pay for, and cuts to funding for the environment are a very short-sighted measure that will cost future generations dearly,” Lloyd said.
Before June’s Spending Review, Reeves will provide an update on Britain’s economy as part of her Spring Statement next week.
The Prime Minister has also announced plans to reorganise the Civil Service. Last week he announced NHS England will be scrapped, while major shake-ups are expected at other quangos and regulators.
At the meeting, the Chancellor said businesses were subjected to “too much bureaucracy” and vowed to cut red tape, including on environmental matters.
It is currently unclear whether the regulatory shake-up will lead to further job cuts at Natural England and the Environment Agency.
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