What we do

The scope of the Nature Conservation Working Party (NCWP) is to consider issues for and affecting nature conservation. Input to landscape related issues may also be appropriate. We do this by:

  • monitoring and providing comments / observations on proposed legislation and policies;
  • monitoring the implementation of existing legislation and policies;
  • seeking to influence relevant legislation and policies as and when opportunities arise;
  • working with and support the devolved administrations working parties on issues for and affecting nature conservation / landscape;
  • seeking engagement with the devolved Countries on the increasingly diverse nature conservation/landscape legislative frameworks;
  • working with and supporting other working parties as and when necessary; and arrange the wildlife law training course for members and non-members annually.

 

Who we are

The working party includes members working in different fields concerned with nature conservation. Participants include individuals from statutory agencies and non-governmental organisations, environmental and planning consultants, lawyers in private and public sector practice and academics. Only UKELA members are eligible to join the working party although guests are welcome at meetings. We meet four times a year, either online or in Nottingham or London, and keep in touch via our google group. We are led by two co-convenors, currently Pip Goodwin and Eunice Pinn. We also have a Chair, currently Richard Barlow of Browne Jacobson.

 

Pip Goodwin

Coordinator and Landscape Recovery Project Manager for the Breckland Farmers’ Wildlife Network

Eunice Pinn

Marine Indicators Advisor for NatureScot, the Statutory Nature Conservation Agency for Scotland

 

Responses to consultation papers

If you are seeking an older consultation paper, please email us. 

  

Response to Defra on protecting hedgerows

Posted on 19/09/2023
UKELA's response to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' consultation on protecting hedgerows, led by the Nature Conservation Working Party.

  

Response to the OEP on the call for evidence for nature recovery

Posted on 04/08/2023
UKELA's response to the call for evidence by the Office for Environmental Protection on its assessment of improving nature delivery - halting England’s decline in species abundance by 2030 and further restoring it.

  

Response to the OEP on the call for evidence on protected sites

Posted on 24/04/2023
This response to the OEP’s call for evidence on Protected Sites has been prepared by UKELA’s Nature Conservation Working Party.

  

Environmental Standards Scotland strategy consultation UKELA response

Posted on 16/08/2022
UKELA has submitted its response on 16 August 2022, welcoming the publication of the draft strategy. We also welcomed that ESS recognises that the environmental challenges facing Scotland are urgent and serious.

  

Response to the Nature Recovery Green Paper

Posted on 09/05/2022
UKELA's response to the Nature Recovery Green Paper, led by the Nature Conservation Working Party (May 2022).

  

Response to the DEFRA and Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies Stakeholder Consultation

Posted on 28/01/2022
UKELA's response to The DEFRA and Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies Stakeholder Consultation, led by the Nature Conservation Working Party (28 January 2022).

 

Wildlife law course and bursary

Members of the Nature Conservation Working Party run an introductory course on wildlife law, usually in November each year and kindly hosted by Browne Jacobson. The course is for those whose jobs require them to understand the practical impact of the legislation surrounding wildlife. Any surplus from the course is used to fund, whenever possible, a bursary of up to £1,000 to support a post graduate research project addressing wildlife law. The successful candidate produces a paper for elaw and gives a presentation to the working party.

The 2023 bursary winners are Csongor Czij and Olivia Draycott with a research proposal titled “Seagrass & The Proposed Marine Net Gain – Assessing the suitability of the current environmental regulatory framework from a wildlaw perspective for upholding the new ecosystems under Marine Net Gain.” In a novel twist, the bursary project will have a practical element in that it will involve the planting of seagrass in the Morecambe Bay area, alongside an evaluation of the likely success of ecological restoration introduced under Defra’s proposed Marine Net Gain. The development of the planted seagrass will be contrasted with that of other seagrass meadows to identify the level of protection different site designations would provide for wildlife introduced under MNG schemes. Look out for updates. 

 

The 2022 bursary winner is Mateusz Slowik

Mateusz is conducting a research project on raptor persecution in the UK. Mateusz is a former student adviser for UKELA and is currently part of the elaw editorial team.  He is working as a research assistant for Professor Benoit Mayer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. We look forward to reading his report once it is completed.