Natural England: New wildlife agency in jeopardy after cutbacks (1 Viewer)

New wildlife agency in jeopardy after cutbacks

By Michael McCarthy, Environment Editor, The Independent
Published: 27 July 2006

England's high-profile new wildlife agency, charged with bringing rare and endangered species back from the brink, is being crippled before it starts by massive budget cuts demanded by the Government, its chairman says.

Sir Martin Doughty, the chairman of Natural England, which begins operations in the autumn, has made an outspoken behind-the-scenes protest about the size of the funding cutbacks.

In a private letter to the Environment Secretary, David Miliband, which has been seen by The Independent, he warns: "The scale of these cuts risks the wheels coming off the organisation before it even reaches October's launchpad."

Environmentalists too are up in arms about the proposed cutbacks, fearing that they will deal a crushing blow to the recovery prospects of many endangered habitats and species such as the corncrake, the once-familiar farmland bird which is all but extinct in England.

"These cuts will put back the recovery prospects for a whole range of species for years," said Mark Avery, director of conservation for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. "This is meant to be an exciting new agency, but this is a terrible start."

The Government has made great claims for Natural England, which is to be a beefed-up version of the present wildlife watchdog body, English Nature. But with its proposed cutbacks it is looking at an environmental public relations disaster similar to the row earlier this year over the scrapping of Britain's leading wildlife research centres.

The new agency is taking over English Nature's wildlife responsibilities, such as looking after sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs), and implementing species recovery programmes. It is also taking over the landscape and access work of the Countryside Agency, such as maintaining the footpath network and implementing the right-to-roam. The result is meant to be an all-singing, all-dancing agency which can look after the countryside and its wildlife.

But the proposed slashing of its budget by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is putting a very large question mark over its ability to do its job, according to Sir Martin.

In his letter to Mr Miliband he writes: "I am deeply concerned that current financial demands being placed upon us by Defra are eroding our capacity to deliver these benefits before we even begin.

"I understand the need for Defra to live within its budget and Natural England is committed to playing its part in that - we are already committed to £7m of cuts. This is on top of nearly £8m in cuts imposed in December last year. However, [Defra] has now asked us for an additional £12m to be obtained in-year from Natural England and our founding bodies.

"Given that in-year cuts would largely be programme rather than staff-based, this equates to a 40 per cent cut to the remainder of our programme on a pro-rata basis. This comprises a 54 per cent cut to the remaining uncommitted programme."

Sir Martin said yesterday that the cuts, if implemented, would make it difficult to achieve two key government environmental targets - to get 95 per cent of SSSIs in good condition by 2010 and to reverse the 40-year decline of farmland birds such as the skylark, the grey partridge and the turtledove by 2020. He described the proposals as "most unfortunate".

Peter Ainsworth, the shadow Environment Secretary, said last night: "This Government keeps talking about the importance of protecting the natural environment, but when they get a funding crisis it's ... first in the firing line."

Matt Shardlow, director of Buglife, the Invertebrate Conservation Trust, said: "If the Government just committed the money it takes to build 30 miles of dual carriageway they could get wildlife in England sorted out. They could turn around the loss of biodiversity. Instead it's cuts, cuts, cuts. It's thoroughly depressing"

Ellie Robinson, assistant director of policy at the National Trust, said: "These cuts mean the new agency's work will be compromised before it's even started."

A spokeswoman for Defra said: "Defra, like most government departments, is operating within a tight fiscal regime and has to continually look for savings and make efficiencies.

"We intend to deliver our budget arrangements equitably across our delivery agencies and within the department.

"We are fully committed to the creation of Natural England as a powerful champion for the natural environment that will conserve and enhance our landscapes and biodiversity, and help people enjoy them.

Projects under threat

Natural England, which starts work in October from its headquarters in Sheffield, will take over the functions of English Nature, the current wildlife watchdog body, and also the landscape, access and recreation functions of the Countryside Agency. It will further incorporate the present Rural Development Service which distributes hundred of millions of pounds in grants to farmers to implement agri-environment schemes.

Environmentalists are concerned about what the funding cuts will mean to the conservation work being carried out by English Nature. This includes:

* Managing wildlife sites: English Nature looks after 213 national nature reserves and more than 4,000 sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs). As the latter are often privately owned, the agency enters into management agreements with the owners to maintain the sites in good condition. At the moment, fewer than 80 per cent of SSSIs are in good condition. The Government target is 95 per cent by 2010. The cuts will make attaining this less likely.

* Species and habitat recovery programmes: Britain's wildlife has suffered in the past four decades from the introduction of intensive farming, pesticides, artificial fertilisers, and new cropping regimes. Farmland birds have shown spectacular declines: lapwings, skylarks (right), tree sparrows and grey partridges are all down by over half their numbers of 40 years ago. Specialised habitats such as lowland heath or chalk grassland, with rare flowers such as the marsh gentian (right) and rare butterflies such as the adonis blue (far left) have also suffered. Many English Nature programmes are addressing these declines, but cuts may curtail some of them.

* Reintroductions: Some species which were extinct in England, such as the red kite, have been brought back with great success. Current reintroduction programmes include the corncrake; future programmes may include the sea eagle (above left). Cuts will affect these programmes.

It appears to me that after the usual fanare from the government on initiating such programmes, they are then quite happy to raid their budgets. Why is it that governments seen to view the environment as a side issue when it comes to politics?

Chris

CBB said:

It appears to me that after the usual fanare from the government on initiating such programmes, they are then quite happy to raid their budgets. Why is it that governments seen to view the environment as a side issue when it comes to politics?

Chris

Click to expand...

We have to make the government realise that there lots of people who care about a parties' green credentials and who will vote accordingly.

I think that the government is starting to perform U turns on it's conservation policies. Tony and Gordon must be running out off ways to pick our pockets. It was only last week when I heard him saying how he would change the rules so wind farm planning permission became a lot easier. Sad but not surprising from the selfish gits.

The subsuming of English Nature into the new body resulted from a report by a Blair stooge by the name of Lord Haskins -Chairman of Northern Foods, purveyors of fine pre-packed "food".

At the time it was surmised that English Nature was too independently minded ( they were against GM for example)-& so had to go.

The new body is ultimately subject to Ministerial dictat-many conservation organisations complained about this diminution of independence during the "consultation" period.There was also concern that the new body was being given far too wide a brief which contained built in conflicts of interest.

Cutting their budget is the final insult to conservation in this country by the values free control freaks in this administration.

Colin

Most ideas this government have regarding the environment usually means bad news not good

I think that if you want to vote for the environment then you have to vote green. It's what I'll be doing at the next election.

ENVIRONMENT: City's green dream threatened by cuts

Peterborough Evening Telegraph 2/8/06:

ENVIRONMENT: City's green dream threatened by cuts[/B]

ENVIRONMENTAL growth in Peterborough could be set back by years because of huge cuts in Government funding.
Leading city figures fear vital environment projects could be shelved when Defra slashes the English Nature budget by up to £4 million.

The organisation, which has its national headquarters in Northminster, central Peterborough, has been behind major local schemes including the Great Fen Project.

It has also poured money into developing popular green areas for people to mingle with wildlife and nature.

However, many of the groundbreaking schemes to increase grassland areas in the city could be halted when the organisation, due to become Natural England this September, is handed a smaller budget.

English Nature bosses have been warned by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to prepare for cuts in the region of £3.7 million, five per cent of their current budget.

English Nature bosses today said the cuts were "not welcome" but said they will not mean staff cuts. There are 397 staff based at the Peterborough head office.

English Heritage (sic) executive director Phil Newby said: "Budget cuts are unwelcome, but it does compare favourably with most other agencies under Defra. The cuts will affect our programmes all over the country.

"We're already a long way through working out how to handle the cuts in the long term and in the short term we will not be entering in to new contracts."

Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson said Peterborough is a "nationally renowned centre of excellence" for the environment that stands out in the UK.

He fears the reductions, on top of cuts of £8 million imposed last September, could seriously hamper the city's efforts to become a green capital.

He said: "It is important that local expertise and jobs are preserved because the city has a major role in conservation work.

"The Government must keep faith with its promise of nature conservation."

English Nature founded the South Peterborough Green Parks scheme to increase the number of forests and fields in the south of the city, connecting with Whittlesey.

It has also worked to encourage local communities to make the most of green areas and wildlife.

Earlier this year, ex-Prime Minister and Huntingdon MP John Major launched the Great Fen Project to help turn 3,000 hectares of farmland into a wetland nature reserve.

Defra spokeswoman Penny Fox confirmed that budget cuts will be imposed, but said the exact amount will be decided in September.

She said: "We will be looking at ways to save funds across the whole of Defra, including within the department itself.
"We are fully committed to the creation of Nature England as a powerful champion for the natural environment that will conserve and enhance our landscapes and help people enjoy them."
02 August 2006

[email protected]

"Defra spokeswoman Penny Fox confirmed that budget cuts will be imposed, but said the exact amount will be decided in September.

She said: "We will be looking at ways to save funds across the whole of Defra, including within the department itself.
"We are fully committed to the creation of Nature England as a powerful champion for the natural environment that will conserve and enhance our landscapes and help people enjoy them.""

The barefaced cynicism of these people is staggering.

These are the sort of things at risk-all taken fron EN's current website:-

: http://www.english-nature.org.uk/special/sssi/
http://www.english-nature.org.uk/about/grant.htm
http://www.english-nature.org.uk/maps/

The last page above gives links to some suberb conservation projects with huge funding-like these :-
http://www.english-nature.org.uk/maps/region2.asp?reg=7
http://www.english-nature.org.uk/maps/region2.asp?reg=8
http://www.english-nature.org.uk/maps/region2.asp?reg=3

Colin

Talk about a kick in the balls. It's just like when Chimpanzee McOilBaron tried to rape the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for his own selfish wants.

Environmental schemes suffer as £200m Defra cuts ordered

Environmental schemes suffer as £200m Defra cuts ordered

· Flood defence work and nature conservation hit
· Budget to be slashed over next six months

John Vidal and David Adam
Wednesday August 2, 2006
The Guardian

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was in financial crisis last night after being told to cut its budget by nearly £200m over the next six months. The Guardian has learned that the 7% savings are expected to bite deeply into flood defence work, nature conservation and canal repair schemes as well as a host of scientific bodies and research groups.

Some of the most swingeing cuts will be borne by the Environment Agency, which is expected to cut £14.9m on flood defences and £9m on environmental protection. Last night it emerged that many people living in vulnerable areas may not get additional flood defences this year and could end up paying higher insurance rates. The cost-cutting has been ordered largely to make up for losses incurred in a disastrous revamp of the farm subsidy system.


Leaked letters seen by the Guardian from Dame Barbara Young, chief executive of the agency, show the government is seeking urgent cuts in budgets across the department. "The fact that they [the cuts] have to be achieved in just over half the financial year will mean that some of the reductions will involve delaying things we would really have preferred not to delay. The work we need to do is challenging", says Dame Barbara in an email to senior staff. The cuts are expected to be mainly in the management and maintenance of flood defences, which can become weakened in storms and extreme weather, increasingly forecast for Britain. The agency has already had to cut its budget for flood defences heavily this year.
An agency spokeswoman said details of where the cuts would be made had yet to be finalised, but that no capital projects would be cut. "It will be done in the least damaging way possible," she said.

A further £12m is being cut from Natural England, the flagship conservation organisation, due to take over from the Countryside Agency in October. In a private letter to the environment secretary, David Miliband, seen by the Guardian, Sir Martin Doughty, the new chairman, said "the scale of these cuts risks the wheels coming off the organisation even before it reaches October's launchpad".

A Defra spokesman said all its "family" of public bodies had been told to cut their budgets. "We recognise that there are changing circumstances. All areas of spending are being rigorously scrutinised. But the final decisions will not be made until September."

The cuts, which will include job losses among civil servants, are a direct result of the revamping of the farm payment system last year. The biggest reform of agricultural subsidy in a generation backfired when it led to a 50% increase in the number of claimants to 120,000, and the IT system failed to cope. Hundreds of extra staff had to be hired and administration costs soared. Some payments were made more than seven months late, driving many farmers close to bankruptcy.

Other unexpected costs have included preparations for avian flu, believed to have cost more than £50m, as well as cross-departmental changes to government accounting procedures. Last night, Chris Huhne, the Liberal Democrat shadow environment secretary said: "This cock-up by [former environment secretary] Margaret Beckett should be met from the contingency reserve not key budget lines for environmental spending."

A number of organisations yesterday said they would be affected. "It will affect our water quality research budget," said a spokeswoman for the Drinking Water Inspectorate. Mike Roberts, of the Central Science Laboratory, said they had first learned of the impending crisis three months ago. An urgent round of belt-tightening across Defra and its agencies is believed to have saved about £100m of the deficit, with the rest now to be slashed from budgets. "That's the problem because our budgets are already committed," he said.

Mike Dewsnap, of the National Forest Company, said it would be impossible to make savings on its modest £3.7m budget without directly affecting progress. The company needs to develop about 400 hectares of forest each year to reach its target of 4,000-5,000 hectares by 2014.

Although Defra said the cuts were to be brought in across the board and had written to all its public bodies, some claimed they were unaware of the cuts. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the State Veterinary Service said they had not been asked to make savings.

Flood defence spending to be cut

BBC News web site:

Flood defence spending to be cut

Efforts to prevent floods are under threat as the government's environment department is forced to cut £200m in the next six months.

The Environment Agency, which runs flood defences, is among those being hit by cutbacks at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The cuts are at least partly being made to make up for losses from the failures in the new subsidy system for farmers.

The department says it will try to ensure key services are not at risk.

Delays forecast

The Environment Agency in England is one of the worst affected, losing £14.9m for flood defences, £8.5m from spending on environmental protection and another £300,000 from business waste recycling schemes.

The agency was told it had to cut £4.4m in April but late last month was told to cut another £23.7m.

Agency chief executive Dame Barbara Young told BBC News 24 the cuts would mean delays to some projects, including mapping for floods and improving warning systems.

Capital funds for building flood defences would not be cut but regional officials were being asked to reduce their maintenance budgets.

This is an incredibly foolish false economy when we know flood risk is increasing

Chris Huhne
Lib Dem spokesman

She said flood defences were one of the agency's highest priorities and she did not want to see floods claiming lives this winter.

"Everyone is very much aware that even in the middle of a drought floods are never too far away and climate change is making that worse," she said.

Lady Young said she wanted to see the £500m currently spent on flood defences rise to £1bn over time.

'Ongoing review'

Natural England, the new conservation organisation which is due to take over from the Countryside Agency this autumn, is also reportedly facing cuts of £12m, according to the Guardian newspaper.

In a letter seen by the newspaper, chairman Sir Richard Doughty told Environment Secretary David Miliband: "The scale of these cuts risks the wheels coming off the organisation even before it reaches October's launch pad."

A Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesman said: "It is sensible for all government departments to review spending on a regular basis to ensure that public money is being used in the most effective way.

"Recently Defra has experienced a number of pressures including funding avian influenza incidents and the introduction of a new payment scheme for farmers.

"We are doing our outmost to avoid cuts that will jeopardise important environmental projects."

'Cock up'

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Chris Huhne said people in areas at risk from flooding would pay for the "incompetence" over farm subsidies.

"This is an incredibly foolish false economy when we know that storms are becoming more extreme and flood risk is increasing due to global warming," he said.

Mr Huhne blamed the "cock up" on Margaret Beckett, who has now left Defra to become foreign secretary.

The subsidies failures should be covered from government emergency funds, not budgets for other environment work, he argued.

Wave of Defra cuts will hit flood defences (3 August 2006)

Wave of Defra cuts will hit flood defences (3 August 2006)

Defra has been told it must cut its planned expenditure over the next six months by £200m after being caught short by the spiralling costs of implementing the new farm payment system and keeping bird flu at bay.

The cuts will see the department tighten its own belt and Whitehall jobs will have to be axed.

But the slashed funding will also impact on public bodies backed by Defra such as the Environment Agency and the Countryside Agency.

The EA is expecting to absorb budget cuts of almost £15m from its flood defence programme and £9 million for environmental protection.

A spokesman from Defra confirmed the cuts would have to be made and said every effort was being made to keep the impact to a minimum.

"There are budgetary pressures and we have to review spending on a regular basis to make sure the public money we do spend is spent in the most effective way," he told edie.

"The bottom line is we're doing our utmost to avoid cuts that will jeopardise important environmental projects.

He said the department had written to all of its delivery bodies to inform them of the situation and added that Defra's own budgets would also be rigorously scrutinised.

Ministers are expected to make detailed announcements of where the axe will fall next month.

In terms of flood protection the spokesman gave assurances that there would be no cuts to capital expenditure so new projects would go ahead as planned.

But money would have to come out of the 'resource budget' which covers maintenance and repairs of existing defences with an inevitable scaling down of such programmes.

Other organisations hit by the spending cut include the fledgling Natural England conservation body which is to replace the Countryside Agency in October, sparking fear it could struggle to launch as planned.

The shortfall has been blamed on the expense of protecting the UK from avian flu, estimated to have cost in the region of £50m, and an unexpectedly high take up for the new farm payment scheme.

More than double the number of farmers registered as had done so under the previous scheme, putting a strain on both finances and the infrastructure designed to administer the scheme.

Sam Bond

Get ready for the sting in the tail

Cumberland News

Get ready for the sting in the tail
Published on 04/08/2006

THE good news comes with firm assurances that in spite of Defra’s swingeing £200m cuts to its budget Carlisle’s vital flood defence schemes will go ahead as planned.

But there’s bad news too. With a six month deadline on government cost cutting orders and nearly £24m having to be lost from the Environment Agency’s spending plans, there’s bound to be a sting on the way.

And can there really be any good news in a bold announcement of proposals to borrow from promises made to Peter to bail out the admitted failings in paying Paul?

Cuts across the board at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs have been made necessary largely because of huge losses racked up in the chaotic misadministration of the new subsidy scheme for farmers, which needed recruitment of extra staff, new IT equipment, revised systems... and still they couldn’t get it right.

The department also cites funding for protection against avian influ-enza as one of its expensive big spenders and warns that as a result the launch of Natural England, the new body due to replace the Countryside Agency in the autumn, may have to be postponed and some key conservation projects scrapped.

As any kind of budgetary plan, pinching pounds from one firm commitment to finance reckless overspend on another isn’t the most intelligent.

Most householders are warned against it by some government worthy or another almost every day.

But who needs caution when managing debt with other people’s money? By making reference to farmers’ payments and the unexpected high numbers of claimants, Defra seeks to shift the blame for its own inadequacies and for this latest example of an outrageous waste of taxpayers’ money.

The cuts will be felt. Cuts always are. And no amount of spinning with thin excuses will dissuade from the unavoidable conviction they have been made necessary by some serious deficiencies in administration.

Coastal defence plan saved from cuts

Eastern Daily Press:

Coastal defence plan saved from cuts

MIKE SHERBURN

03 August 2006 07:12

Vital flood and coast defence work around the Norfolk and Suffolk coasts will not be sacrificed as central government looks to slash £200m from its environment budget, the EDP learned yesterday.

The reassuring message for the region came as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced that most of its departments and agencies would have to find multi-million pound savings.

Scientists at the Cefas (Centre for the Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) laboratories at Pakefield, near Lowestoft, are also safe from cuts.

The East of England flood defence maintenance budget will be cut by 2.5pc, however, as the Environment Agency looks for almost £24m of savings.

The announcement had led to initial speculation that areas such as Horsey on the Norfolk coast, where just a mile and a half of land separate the Broads from the North Sea, would be at risk if funding was cut.

A spokesman for Defra, which provides the Environment Agency with its cash, said he could not comment on how the funding cuts would affect local schemes - but insisted that the programme of new schemes would not be affected.

"In terms of the Environment Agency, it only refers to their resource budget, which funds things like training, operational activities and maintenance of defences," he said. "The money going to local councils for coast defence schemes is also unaffected," he added.

Rita Penman, a spokesman for the Environment Agency, said several areas of the agency's work would be directly affected by the cuts, which came on top of the reduced budget announced in April.

"In late July we were informed that a further reduction of £23.8m was being imposed, excluding flood risk management capital schemes," she said.

"Obviously there are no specific details at this stage because we have still got a lot of 'looking at' to do."

Stephen Wheatley, flood risk manager for the Environment Agency in the East of England, said the regional budget would be cut by reducing the recurring maintenance, such as grass cutting and checking for animal burrows in flood protection embankments.

"It's like painting your house," he said. "If you don't do it one year, then it might take a bit more rubbing down the next year, but the wood around the windows won't rot unless you leave it for a long time."

The £200m of savings Defra has been told to find in the next six months is worth 7pc of its budget and while concerns such as Cefas and Kew will not see any changes, other bodies will be hit hard with some job losses expected among civil servants.

Natural England, the successor to the Countryside Agency, is to lose £12m, the Drinking Water Inspectorate said cuts would affect water quality research and the National Forest Company has warned savings would makes its 400 hectares a year target impossible to achieve.

Cuts have had to be found after the reform of agricultural subsidy led to a 50pc increase in the number of claimants to 120,000, and the computer system failed to cope. Hundreds of extra staff had to be hired and administration costs soared.

Other unexpected costs have included preparations for avian flu, believed to have cost more than £50m, as well as cross-departmental changes to government accounting procedures.

Anne McClarnon, communications manager at Cefas, said the cuts did not affect the laboratories.

"There is no impact with us at this stage. We received a huge commitment from Defra towards the Waveney Campus project in Lowestoft."

WWF concerned about DEFRA budget cuts

DEFRA budget cuts

Monday 7 August 2006

WWF is extremely concerned about recent reports outlining £200 million cuts in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spending, which it believes could significantly impact on conservation in the UK and management of the marine environment.
The UK has a tight deadline to ensure that networks of Marine Protected Areas are in place by 2008, as part of the Natura 2000 network to be delivered under the EC Habitats and Birds Directives.

Dr Simon Walmsey, Head of WWF Marine, said: "We feel that the overall momentum on delivering a vital component of our marine Natura 2000 Network is now in jeopardy as it looks like key research work this summer will be stopped."

The UK has a tight EC deadline to ensure that networks of Marine Protected Areas are in place by 2008. As part of this English Nature has recently completed a three year review of data to identify a list of seven marine sites. In order to ensure that the sites fulfil the criteria for reef and sandbank habitats - as defined under the EU legislation - they had planned survey work for this summer and this is now under threat.

Elsewhere in the UK WWF is concerned that these cuts will affect the freshwater environment, particularly on the issue of water quality. The UK is entering a critical time in terms of addressing water quality through the Water Framework Directive. This is the most substantial piece of EC water legislation to date and a once in a generation opportunity to address long term threats to our freshwater resources and environment.