Corporate report

Natural England Action Plan 2026 to 2027

Published 11 August 2026

Applies to England

Foreword

The year ahead marks a step change in how Natural England delivers for nature, growth and society. Building on the momentum of our 2025 to 2026 Action Plan and the launch of our new strategy, Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security, 2026 to 2027 is the year we move decisively into delivery at scale.

Our strategy sets a clear direction: nature is not a constraint on growth, but essential national infrastructure that underpins economic prosperity, food and water security, public health and resilience to climate change. Recovering nature at scale requires us to work differently, focusing on outcomes rather than processes, enabling others to deliver, and embedding nature early into decisions about land use, development and investment.

This Action Plan reflects that shift. It is structured around the 4 strategic outcomes in our strategy:

• Recovering Nature
• Building Better Places
• Improving Health and Wellbeing
• Delivering Security through Nature

Together, these outcomes have been used to prioritise effort, allocate resources and measure delivery.

Our Critical Reform programmes continue to underpin delivery, to ensure that we have the services, systems and people to for the outcomes we need to achieve. Our move to a service based operating model is strengthening clarity, consistency and accountability and better supporting our people and partners.

The Secretary of State’s Strategic Policy Statement for Natural England, and the regulatory reforms it includes, reinforces the importance of Natural England’s role in supporting economic growth through proportionate, solutions focused regulation and the effective use of discretion. In 2026 to 2027, we will embed these expectations, placing greater emphasis on early strategic solutions, landscape scale interventions and trusted partners to accelerate delivery for people and nature that underpins the economy, health and security. This Action Plan sets out how we will do that in the year ahead.

Tony Juniper CBE
Chair

Marian Spain
Chief Executive

Introduction

This Action Plan details what Natural England will deliver in 2026 to 2027, aligned with our new strategy, Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security.

We are approaching critical milestones:

• the statutory target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030
• the global commitment to protect and manage 30% of land and sea for nature
• the goal for everybody to have access to nature 15 minutes from home

At the same time, we are operating within a constrained fiscal environment that requires sharper prioritisation and greater efficiency and productivity.

In working towards these milestones, we will focus our resources in ways that also contribute towards the government’s ambitious goals for housing, clean energy and infrastructure.

Our strategy - Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security – is integral to the delivery of wider Defra goals, in particular the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP). It sets out a significant shift from piecemeal protections and interventions to recovering nature at scale as an essential part of national recovery and resilience.

Government reinforces this through our strategic policy statement and growth goals and expects Natural England to embed a culture that supports proportionate, outcomes-focused decisions.

We will be faster, more efficient and achieve better outcomes by changing how we carry out the regulation we do ourselves and how we work with others. We are shifting our role in the planning system from a consultee on cases to a partner in strategies and plans for development which embed nature. And we are creating even more capacity to convene and lead major nature recovery projects, such as landscape recovery.

We know from our stakeholders, customers and staff that this is not just about improving processes and structures; our ways of working will be more customer focused, more pragmatic and more collaborative. 

This Action Plan:

• focuses on strategic, scalable interventions rather than isolated actions
• embeds growth‑enabling, outcomes‑focused regulation
• enables others to deliver nature recovery
• makes clearer choices to focus on high-risk, high-opportunity activities that will sustain nature recovery, and reduce activities with smaller, piecemeal, shorter-lasting results
• brings stronger alignment, including with other environmental regulators, and more collaboration with our customers

Natural England’s performance measures and key performance indicators (KPIs) reflect our goals and are also aligned to statutory targets, the Defra outcomes framework and the Regulator KPI Dashboard, as well as government’s priorities.

How we work

Organisational context

Natural England is the government’s statutory adviser for the natural environment and a Non‑Departmental Public Body sponsored by Defra. Our work contributes directly to the Defra Outcomes Framework and supports delivery of the government’s agenda.

Our approach

Across all our work, we will:

• prioritise outcomes over process by applying pragmatic decision-making
• focus effort earlier in decision-making to reduce delay and uncertainty
• focus less on site‑by‑site interventions and more on systems scale solutions
• streamline regulation, while maintaining strong enforcement where required
• enable trusted partners, stepping back where others can deliver effectively
• use science, data and digital tools to improve pace, confidence and transparency

To deliver our new strategy and support nature recovery, we are introducing a service-based approach, which focuses on clearly defining what we provide, who we provide it to, and why. By aligning people, processes and technology around these 17 services and the 11 functions that support them, we can improve transparency, accountability and collaboration across the organisation.  This will help us work more effectively, make better use of resources and deliver improved outcomes for both our users and nature.

Our services	Our functions
Advise on terrestrial and marine planning cases	Organisational governance
Provide wildlife advice and licences	Partnership and stakeholder engagement
Advise on planning policy and spatial planning	Organisational strategy, direction and improvement
Provide strategic solutions to developers	Budget support
Promote urban greening	Workforce management
Increase nature access	Legal
Promote joint outcomes for people and nature	Project delivery and change
Develop scientific partnerships	Organisational digital and data
Provide scientific evidence	Place based delivery integration
Provide land management scheme design and delivery advice	Customer service
Advise on marine and fisheries ecosystem based management	Science, evidence, analysis and data capability
Provide evidence and advice for water, air and environmental quality
Provide farm and land management advice and guidance
Deliver thriving landscapes
Promote species recovery
Improve and manage national nature reserves
Improve and manage protected sites

Our priorities for 2026 to 2027

In 2026 to 2027, Natural England’s delivery will be focused on the 4 strategic outcomes set out in our Strategy. These outcomes are mutually reinforcing and provide a clear framework for prioritising work and assuring delivery.

The 4 strategic outcomes are:

1. Recovering Nature.
2. Building Better Places.
3. Improving Health and Wellbeing.
4. Delivering Security through Nature.

Delivering our priorities in 2026 to 2027

Strategic outcome 1 – Recovering Nature

Increased scale and quality of places where nature thrives

Outcome – our long‑term goal

Natural systems across land and sea are recovering and becoming more resilient, with action focused on reversing the root causes of decline.

Our priority actions for 2026 to 2027

• enable high-quality local nature recovery by delivering timely, expert support to responsible authorities (RAs) implementing Local Nature Recovery Strategies (LNRS)
• expand delivery through landscape recovery, Protected Site Strategies (PSS) and super national nature reserves (NNRs)
• deliver Protected Site Strategies focused on water quality and pollution pressures
• target species recovery work at population level outcomes, through the Species Recovery Programme
• continue to manage and define NNRs in partnership with others and continue to create new Kings Series NNRs
• improve site condition and strengthen climate resilience of the protected sites network

Natural England services that will contribute to this outcome

• improve and manage protected sites
• promote species recovery
• improve and manage national nature reserves
• deliver thriving landscapes
• provide evidence and advice for water, air and environmental quality
• advise on marine and fisheries ecosystem based management

Our key performance indicators for 2026 to 2027

• provide advice to the 8 regional water planning groups to help them deliver water planning that contributes to Natural England’s protected sites and biodiversity objectives
• complete 80 marine protected area condition assessments
• meet the EIP commitment of 50% of sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) features to have actions on track to achieve favourable condition by 2030, by delivering 32% by March 2027
• deliver 10 Protected Site Strategies (PSS) to restore and improve their condition through co-designed solutions and gather evidence to inform future rollout
• 400 rare or threatened species prioritised in threatened species recovery actions benefit from Natural England-led/enabled recovery projects
• meet the EIP commitment to declare 25 new or significant extensions to NNRs by delivering 5 per year to 2028
• provide timely, expert and effective support to Protected Landscapes (PLs) to drive delivery of 30by30 across 25% of England and report progress against Defra’s PL targets and outcomes framework
• create or restore 13,200 hectares of a range of wildlife-rich habitat outside of protected sites
• provide timely, expert and effective support to RAs to enable the delivery of Defra-funded local nature recovery strategies (LNRS) resulting in improved coordination, delivery and reporting of nature recovery at a local scale

Strategic outcome 2 – Building Better Places

Greener homes and infrastructure create healthier, more investable places

Outcome – our long‑term goal

Nature is embedded early in development and investment decisions.

Our priority actions for 2026 to 2027

• implement Environmental Delivery Plans and prepare for Nature Restoration Fund rollout and support delivery of the Marine Recovery Fund
• embed nature at the earliest stage of strategic development planning at national and local scales (for example, National Planning Policy Statements, Spatial Development Strategies and Local Development Plans)
• embed a new statutory consultee delivery model, with early solutions-focused advice on high-risk, high-opportunity cases such as Nationally Significant Infrastructure Programmes (NSIPs), major housing, energy projects
• accelerate nature recovery and speed up consenting of lower risk activities by streamlining licensing.
• expanding earned autonomy and trusted partner approaches, such as bat earned recognition, class licensing, management plans with trusted partners
• implement a new operational framework for planning consultations and expand standing advice so that planners and developers can make the right choices for nature

Natural England services that will contribute to this outcome

• advise on terrestrial and marine planning cases
• provide strategic solutions to developers
• provide wildlife advice and licences

Our key performance indicators for 2026 to 2027

• deliver 90% of statutory planning casework within published timescales
• respond to 90% of NSIPs within agreed timeframes and deadlines for statutory requests at pre-application and pre-examination
• stakeholders demonstrate confidence and support in the first Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) through constructive engagement and participation in the consultation, enabling learning to inform the development of subsequent EDPs
• run the Biodiversity Net Gain site register ensuring content is correct and publicly available, operate the statutory biodiversity credit sales platform, and meet service target of 95% of applications completed within 10 working days

Strategic outcome 3 – Improving Health and Wellbeing

Build nature into everyday life

Outcome – our long‑term goal

More people have access to high‑quality green and blue spaces.

Our priority actions for 2026 to 2027

• deliver Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework, Accessible Greenspace Standards and Nature Towns and Cities programmes to expand and connect green and blue spaces, enabling everyone to live within a 15‑minute walk of nature
• collaborate with partners across government to integrate nature into national and local policies, guidance and delivery plans that support health and wellbeing
• develop a sustainable funding model for nature-based health initiatives through the design and scoping of a nature and health accelerator programme, alongside establishing a dedicated investment partnership
• embed green social prescribing within health systems by integrating it into policy, commissioning and delivery frameworks; strengthening the evidence base and introducing a national impact metric; and providing training and support for NHS, public health and policy leaders and practitioners
• deliver, enhance and maintain National Trails through Natural England’s National Trails programme, including investment in infrastructure and partnerships to improve access and user experience
• complete, open and promote the King Charles III England Coast Path, delivering remaining sections to establish a continuous national trail around England’s coastline

Natural England services that will contribute to this outcome

• increase nature access
• promote joint outcomes for people and nature
• promote urban greening

Our key performance indicators for 2026 to 2027

• 10% increase in National Trail partnerships maintaining or increasing the percentage of their trail in ‘good condition’, improving access to green and blue spaces
• a continuing upward trend in people who regularly visit natural spaces, to achieve a rolling 3-year average of 67% or above
• increase the percentage of households who have access to green and blue spaces within 15 minutes of their home

Strategic outcome 4 – Delivering Security through Nature

Nature strengthens food, water and climate resilience

Outcome – our long‑term goal

Nature‑based solutions support resilience, food production and climate adaptation.

Our priority actions for 2026 to 2027

• deliver landscape recovery and targeted farm advice to support farm business with climate resilience, nature recovery and food security
• support marine recovery and ecosystem‑based management
• support transformation of the water sector (including increased joint working with the Water Services Regulation Authority (OFWAT), Drinking Water Inspectorate and Environment Agency (EA)), advice to Defra on the establishment of the new water regulator and regional water planning, and a transformed approach to OFWAT’s next price review (PR29) which provides more cost-effective outcomes for nature
• support the EA’s Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy and roadmap refresh, enabling sustainable and greater nature-based solutions to flood risk
• work collaboratively with EA, Defra and water companies to find sustainable, long-term solutions to water quality and supply issues for growth, including through OFWAT’s Regulator’s Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (RAPID) and Asset Management Period 8 (AMP8) delivery and in advising on water company plans
• transformation of Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) so that it becomes a key delivery mechanism as part of regional water planning, providing trusted advice to support farmers to be more resilient to climate change overall, and to reduce impacts on water and air quality
• deliver the peat capital grant scheme and support the Nature for Climate tree planting targets

Natural England services that will contribute to this outcome

• provide land management scheme design and delivery advice
• provide farm and land management advice
• deliver thriving landscapes
• improve and manage protected sites

Our key performance indicators for 2026 to 2027

• 25 landscape recovery projects to have completed the assurance process and entered the project implementation phase or exited the scheme
• support 1,000 farmers through our advisory service for the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme (CSHT) and contribute to delivery of government targets on 500 new agreements
• enable 5,500 farmers to reduce water and air pollution through the CSF programme
• implement adaptive delivery plans (ADPs) for 10 SSSIs identified as being at high risk from climate change, contributing to the EIP action to implement ADPs for at least 10% of SSSIs assessed as being at high risk by 2030
• restore 4,000 hectares of peatlands through the Nature for Climate Fund (NCF) peatland grant scheme

Critical Reform programmes

In 2026 to 2027, our critical reforms will deliver improvements in how we prioritise work, deploy resources, make decisions, support delivery partners and implement recommendations from government policy changes and independent reviews

The Critical Reform programmes are:

• statutory casework reform – reshaping planning, licensing and protected sites services to improve certainty, speed and customer experience while delivering better outcomes for nature
• planning policy reform – supporting delivery of government planning and infrastructure reform, embedding strategic environmental solutions and enabling growth alongside nature recovery
• optimise synergy – modernising and streamlining corporate systems and processes to improve efficiency, insight and decision making
• reshape the organisation – transforming Natural England’s operating model and ways of working to best support delivery of the strategy

How we organise ourselves

We will reorganise our leadership and teams through 2026 to 2027 to:

• improve clarity about what we deliver and why
• strengthen accountability
• support better collaboration
• align resources to priorities
• encourage innovation at the right level
• improve services and outcomes for users

Our people

Our people are central to delivering this Action Plan. Our strategic workforce plan will help us to develop and support them. It is shaped around 4 key actions:

• we will have the technical and transferable skills needed to deliver our strategy
• we will adapt to changing priorities and have greater resilience to support the delivery of our strategy
• we will be flexible and customer service orientated
• we will work collaboratively, both within the organisation and with partners, to achieve shared outcomes

In doing so we remain committed to upholding our values of inclusion, ambition, integrity and collaboration, alongside supporting the wellbeing of our staff, and demonstrating leadership through change.

We will align all our work to Natural England’s strategy by focusing on excellent customer service, strong collaboration, and pragmatic, evidence‑based decision-making. Everybody in Natural England has clear personal goals linked to these priorities and progress is tracked through regular conversations. We will make sure our day‑to‑day work contributes to the wider organisation’s objectives, working consistently and effectively with others to deliver high‑quality outcomes.

Our finances and resources

We will align our money and people to our services and functions, with activities prioritised to deliver the greatest impact and value for money.

Our total planned funding for 2026 to 2027 is £349.8 million, of which £249.2 million is revenue and £100.6 million is capital. This is a 5% increase compared to 2025 to 2026.

• 92% of our gross expenditure is funded from Grant in Aid (GiA) provided by Defra
• 8% of our funding is from non-government sources, which includes charging for services like the Discretionary Advice Service, delivering habitat mitigation solutions for developers through the District Level Scheme, Biodiversity Net Gain and the Nutrient Mitigation Scheme
• we also benefit from external funding for projects through organisations such as the Heritage Lottery Fund and contracts for delivery such as for the Crown Estate

Our budget by funding stream

Our budget breakdown by Service and Function
Key: Services are shown by blue lines; Functions are shown by yellow lines

By March 2027, we expect to have 2640 people (measured as full-time equivalents or FTE), working for Natural England, assigned as set out below.

What our people will work on
Key: Services are shown by blue lines; Functions are shown by yellow lines

Our efficiency plan

Over the spending review period (2026 to 2027 - 2028 to 2029), Natural England will realise the following savings from our baseline budget:

• 2026 to 2027 - £6.5m found through savings by shifting work to alternative funding streams and internal efficiencies
• 2027 to 2028 - a further £6.8m, of which £4.2m efficiencies are planned to come from our critical reforms, such as a new operating model and licence simplification
• 2028 to 2029 - a further £6.5m, of which £5.2m efficiencies are planned to come from our critical reforms, such as changes in our role in planning

Assuring delivery of the Action Plan

Progress is overseen through:

• Natural England Board and the Natural England Executive Committee
• executive ownership of outcomes and reform programmes
• performance reporting to Defra ministers, aligned to Defra outcomes and regulatory KPIs
• publishing reports to government, Parliament and the public