Lords Committee to hear from environmental bodies and national parks about land use pressures and priorities
Friday 11 March 2022
The House of Lords Land Use Committee will hold two evidence sessions next week as it continues its inquiry into land and planning use in England. The Committee will question senior officers from national parks, environmental and nature bodies about their role in supporting nature, biodiversity and environmental protection, and what this means for land use.
The sessions will take place on Monday 14 March from 3.30pm and will be available to watch live or on demand at Parliament TV or in person in Committee Room 2, Palace of Westminster.
Giving evidence will be;
3.30pm
- Kevin Austin, Deputy Director, Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment, Environment Agency and;
- David Law, Deputy Chief Executive, Natural England.
4.30pm
- David Butterworth, lead CEO, National Parks England and CEO, Yorkshire Dales National Park and;
- John Watkins, CEO, National Association for Areas of Outstanding National Beauty (AONBs)
Questions will include:
- How do you ensure appropriate action is taken at the right scale to deliver significant environmental benefits, and ensure effective conservation and support for nature?
- How do Natural England and the Environment Agency work together on shared priorities?
- What is your assessment of how effectively the Local Nature Recovery Strategies will support the Nature Recovery Network?
- How do National Parks seek to use their role as planning authorities to support effective land use policies in their areas? What lessons might their approach have for land use in areas outside national parks?
- What tensions are there between local authority priorities for AONBs and their wider land use priorities and how might such tensions be resolved?
