Discussions centred broadly on the Environment Bill, which has been suspended until the next parliamentary session, looking in part at proposals for 'conservation covenants' that will allow landowners to create legally binding agreements to conserve land for future generations. The NFU team argued that when land managers are entering into conservation covenants, this must be made absolutely clear to them along with any associated terms.
Find out more about conservation covenants and
the NFU's detailed response here
The discussions also focussed on 'biodiversity net gain', the approach that aims to leave the natural environment in a better state than it was found. This will require measures to deliver at least a 10% improvement in biodiversity value.
The Biodiversity Metric 3.0, the tool that will be used to measure and account for biodiversity losses - and therefore measure biodiversity net gain - is due to be published this spring alongside updated guidance. The NFU team stressed that much more detail is needed on this proposal.
The establishment of nature recovery networks are a key aspect of the government’s 25-year environment plan and were also discussed. Currently there are five local nature recovery network pilots ongoing across England, testing how the future schemes may work. These pilots are due to finish in April and once complete should enable further information to be made available. For now, it is anticipated that a key aspect of planning and delivery will be mapping. The NFU reiterated that engagement with landowners will be critical from an early stage.
Read more about local nature recovery partnership pilots here
Other topics discussed included numerous projects happening across the region and future funding opportunities such as the Peat Capital Grant Scheme and ELMS Landscape Recovery Pilot.