England’s natural assets are in serious decline, warns expert committee

The government has been criticised for ‘limited progress and some worrying declines’ when it comes to protecting the environment, writes Tom Batchelor

Autumnal reflections in Lake Buttermere in the Lake District (PA)

From the South Downs to the North Pennines, England boasts dozens of breathtaking natural wonders.

But a nation of self-declared nature-lovers has allowed its natural assets to fall into serious decline, an expert panel has warned.

A report by the Natural Capital Committee, established to advise the government on how to deliver on its pledge to improve the environment, said soil quality, land and wildlife were all being neglected.