Natural England: Power Without Performance

It has been two years since the Independent Review of Protected Site Management on Dartmoor, better known as the 2023 Defra Dartmoor Review, delivered a damning verdict on Natural England’s conduct.

The report was unequivocal. It exposed a breakdown in trust and communication, accusing the agency of failing to build and sustain credible relationships with Dartmoor’s farming community. Communications were found to be unclear, inconsistent, and opaque. Confidence collapsed and justifiably so.

Since then, things have only gone downhill. In a Westminster debate on wildfire just last month, Natural England was branded “not fit for purpose” on the floor of Parliament. That came as no surprise to moorland managers, who have long struggled with the agency’s rigid, top-down approach.

Despite wielding enormous power over land managers, Natural England’s track record on its own patch is telling: on the only upland moor it controls directly, a staggering 80% of SSSI units are in unfavourable condition.

If that weren’t damning enough, look no further than its latest performance report. Natural England chose its own Key Performance Indicators - and still failed to deliver. It missed core targets, faltered on key environmental metrics, and revealed a culture of persistent underperformance. As for accountability? Don’t hold your breath.

Ten days after publication, the typo in the report’s headline was still unfixed. Perhaps someone will correct it now, or perhaps not. With 3,000 staff and no meaningful scrutiny, it’s hard to avoid the impression that no one truly cares.

The agency’s 2023–2024 KPI results paint a troubling picture. Of 26 performance indicators, only half were rated Green - meaning Natural England met expectations in just 13 areas. The rest were a mix of mediocrity and failure: 31% were rated Amber-Green, 15% Amber-Red, and one critical measure, the area of protected land and sea, received a Red rating.

This last failure is especially serious. Protecting land and sea is a fundamental part of Natural England’s remit. Yet on this core function, it has failed outright. Ministers often claim that public agencies are leading the charge for nature recovery. The truth is, even the basics aren’t being delivered.

The problems go deeper still. Several key indicators, including marine conservation, species licensing, and local delivery of nature recovery - were rated Amber-Red, indicating serious underperformance. These are not fringe programmes. They are foundational to England’s environmental strategy.

Meanwhile, the areas where Natural England did perform well raise serious questions. Green ratings were awarded to metrics like visitor access, public engagement, staff development, and customer service. These are all important, but significantly easier to achieve, and far more visible to politicians and the media, than the complex task of landscape-scale conservation. The imbalance suggests a worrying shift in focus - from substance to optics.

This begs the question: are Natural England’s resources being directed to where they’re most needed or simply where results are easier to showcase?

At a time when rural land managers are being asked to deliver more for nature, carbon, and public access - with less support and increasing regulation - the agency responsible for leading that effort must not drift off course.

The uplands face distinctive challenges. What’s needed are credible partners who understand these landscapes, trust those who manage them, and can deliver real outcomes. Many of our members are already achieving results - for peatland, biodiversity, and wildfire resilience - not in policy documents, but on the ground.

It’s time for Natural England to get back to basics. That means protecting land, restoring habitats, and supporting those on the frontline of delivery. It means cutting through bureaucracy, raising ecological ambition, and working with - not against - the people who know the land best.

The countryside cannot wait for another review, rebrand or reorganisation. Nature needs action. And if Natural England cannot deliver, then the government must step in and listen to those already doing the work.

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