Defra has announced the designation of the third tranche of Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs). The latest designations of 41 new MCZs brings the overall total of MCZs in English waters to 91. In addition, new features have been added to 12 existing MCZs. The Government has announced that this essentially completes the UK ‘Blue Belt’ […]
On 27 March Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey announced the 25 new schemes to receive a share of £36 million to improve flood protection announced in last year’s Autumn Statement. £33.8 million will be allocated to the 25 schemes over the next three years, in addition to a £2.2 millionalready allocated to 13 projects in Cumbria and […]
‘A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment’ sets out the UK Government’s commitments to improve the environment within a generation. It sets goals environmental improvements and details how Government will work with businesses and communities to achieve the goals over the next 25 years. The plan sits alongside two other government […]
In November 2016 a stakeholder workshop was run by the JNCC (Joint Nature Conservation Committee) to help provide scientific advice on the suite of site options from which they could select potential Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs) that could form a third tranche of MCZ designations. The advice was requested of JNCC and Natural England by Defra. […]
New statistics released by DEFRA on the quality of bathing water around England have shown that swimming waters are the cleanest since records began. 413 beaches and lakes were tested around the country of which 98.5% of those passed standards with 93.2% of those being rated ‘excellent’ or ‘good’, an increase of over 5% since […]
Closes 19th September 2016, 5 p.m. Natural England is inviting comments on proposals for coastal access between Gretna and Allonby on the Cumbrian coast. A report was submitted to the Secretary of State for the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on 25th July setting out the proposals and Natural England are […]
The newsletter for the Defra, Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Government Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management (FCERM) Research and Development programme for May has been published and covers the following topics: Policy, Strategy & Investment Catchment process modelling The costs and impacts of the 2013-14 winter floods Public dialogues on flood risk […]
Defra has published the 2015 Bathing Waters Compliance Report. New, tougher bathing water standards are now in place with 4 categories: poor, sufficient, good and excellent. In total 624 freshwater, estuarine and coastal bathing waters (waters officially designated for bathing) were monitored across the UK with 415 in England, 102 in Wales, 84 in Scotland and 23 in […]
Defra has provided Parliament with the first six year progress report on marine planning in England which is a reporting requirement of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. It was laid before Parliament on 5th November 2015. It is short and succinct as only one set of plans (East Inshore and East Offshore) have yet […]
As a requirement of the Marine and Coastal Act 2009, The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs published a report in March 2015 reviewing the conduct and operations of ten English Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities (IFCA’S) over a four year period (2010 to 2014). The report presents the legislative context in which IFCA […]