* Natalie Bennett: “The Government should be strengthening Natural England – not stripping it of one third of its funding and forcing it to impose compromising charges on the very corporations it is supposed to be regulating."
The Green Party has said revelations the nature watchdog plans to use its powers to protect the environment less are “extremely concerning”.
Leaked documents have exposed plans Natural England, which has a duty to protect the country’s wildlife and nature, will make “more proportionate use” of regulatory powers [1].
Natalie Bennett, Green Party Leader, said:
“It is extremely concerning to see Natural England setting out plans to use its vital powers to protect the environment less.
“Nature is precious and whenever it is violated or abused it is essential the watchdog charged with its safeguarding uses the full force of the law to protect it.”
Natural England’s budget is set to be cut by almost one third while it will lose one fifth of its staff in the next four years.
As a result the regulator will get some funding from the private companies it keeps in check, documents seen by the Guardian and Greenpeace say [2].
Bennett added:
“The Government should be strengthening Natural England – not stripping it of one third of its funding and forcing it to impose compromising charges on the very corporations it is supposed to be regulating.
“It is even more worrying that this revelation comes so soon after the vote to leave the EU and the risks for the environment this will bring.”
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