Defra Secretary of State George Eustice confirmed the appointment of Mr Lovell as Environment Agency chair on 19 July 2022.

An experienced chair of both commercial and not-for-profit enterprises, he currently chairs the construction and support services business Interserve Group and Safestyle UK, and is senior independent director of SIG. He was also chair of the Consumer Council for Water for four years.

NFU Environment Forum chair Richard Bramley said: “We look forward to working with Alan on a range of important issues for the farming sector, including water resources and quality, flood management and soil health, as part of our ambition for farming to be net zero by 2040.”

Mr Lovell’s appointment follows a rigorous selection process conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Governance Code on Public Appointments.

You can find the Efra and EAC committees’ joint report into his suitability for the role at the Parliament UK website: UK Parliament | Pre-appointment hearing for the chair-designate of the Environment Agency