EPIC Webinar: How are England's protected wildlife site laws being implemented?
Free and open to all
England's protected wildlife sites represent a golden opportunity to drive nature’s urgently needed recovery, but they are failing to deliver the outcomes needed. Two thirds of sites are in poor ecological condition, progress to update assessments of their condition has been slow, and the designation of new sites has stalled. The actions that are taken now to address this will go a long way to determining whether key 2030 environmental targets are met.
In December 2025, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) laid before Parliament and published a report on how England's protected wildlife site laws are being implemented in England. The report aimed to get to the root of how these laws are being implemented, their effectiveness, and where improvements can be made.
The report finds that these laws are not being implemented effectively, or at the pace and scale needed. It makes 15 recommendations to Defra, Natural England, and other public authorities across six themes: governance arrangements, resources, designation of new sites, monitoring of site condition, incentives and advice for land managers, and regulatory tools and enforcement.
Join this EPIC webinar to hear about the OEP's key findings and recommendations. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.
Our speakers
David Hampson
David Hampson is a Principal Lawyer at the OEP.
Emma Hawthorne
Emma Hawthorne is a Principal Scrutinising Environmental Law and Advice Manager at the OEP.
Banner image: © Ian via Adobe Stock
