Government changes to regulation risk nature being neglected in pursuit of economic growth

• The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published new Strategic Policy Statements for the Environment Agency and Natural England, setting out the government’s expectations for the environmental regulators

• Government has also set out plans to reform nuclear regulations in its response to the Fingleton Review

• The Rivers Trust welcomes the move to an outcome-based approach, over tick box compliance culture in order to achieve vital environmental improvements

• However, our Chief Executive cautions that economic growth must not trump environmental targets and community gains

The new direction for environmental regulators set out by the Westminster government this week signals a move towards outcomes-focused regulation, which presents a huge opportunity to deliver genuine improvement for the environment. For far too long, we have had a tick box compliance culture that focuses on regulatory requirements which has stifled environmental delivery through true partnership working. The Rivers Trust exists to ensure rivers thrive, so this renewed focus on delivery over process is welcome. Public spending should maximise overall benefits to society rather than micro-managing individual actions.

However, there is a real risk in these new strategic guidelines that economic growth is pushed to the top of the agenda, leaving the environment and communities trailing lower down the list. Coinciding with the government’s announcement of plans to tinker with vital nature protections in response to the Fingleton Review, it is starkly clear that our environment is under threat from snowballing growth-focused policies.

The removal of process can lead to hard-won protections for nature being lost and private companies running rings around regulators. Any regulatory decision must be based on robust evidence, which requires more and better environmental data than we currently have. We also need strong governance structures to implement strategic objectives and ensure that the environment and communities aren’t forgotten in pursuit of growth.

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive