Ministers with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have today (Thursday, March 9) appointed three new members to the board of Natural England.
Mel Austen, Lynn Dicks, and Dame Caroline Spelman have been appointed to the board for a three-year term running from March 1, 2023 for Dicks and Spelman and April 1, 2023 for Austen.
Andy Clements and Michael Winter meanwhile, will be leaving the board when their terms expire at the end of the month.
Natural England, which is an executive non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, focuses on delivering the government’s environmental priorities and ensuring the natural environment is adequately conserved, enhanced and managed.
Board members of the organisation oversee the delivery of its main mission to build partnerships for nature recovery in support for the Environmental Improvement Plan.
This includes setting strategy and direction, agreeing objectives, overseeing performance and taking important decisions like designations, Defra said.
Speaking on the new appointments, Natural England chair Tony Juniper said: “Our board plays a crucial role in supporting our organisation as we deliver for the environment and support the government’s targets to halt and reverse nature decline.
“There are huge opportunities for Natural England to shape this landscape, whether through our specialist advice and guidance which is supporting the roll-out of the Environmental Land Management Schemes, or creating new and better spaces for Nature through our growing Nature Recovery Network.”
Juniper said he was looking forward to working with Spelman, Dicks and Austen who will each “bring a range of skills and experience that will help us deliver these ambitious plans”.
“I would like to thank Andy Clements and Michael Winter for their many years of dedicated service on the Natural England Board and wish them the very best with their continued efforts for nature recovery in other roles,” he added.
