Our landmark agreement with Natural England to strengthen environmental impact

Signed on the landscape-led A417 Missing Link project, a scheme that aims to deliver four miles of a safer road with free-flowing traffic while conserving and enhancing the special character, natural beauty and wildlife of the Cotswolds National Landscape, the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) outlines the framework for collaboration between the two organisations.

Its primary aim is improving environmental outcomes along the Strategic Road Network (SRN).

Through this partnership, we will work with Natural England to ensure that infrastructure development respects and enhances the natural world, and adding to natural and social capital as well as newly built structures, all of which are needed by society.

As one of the largest landowners in England, managing over 30,000 hectares, we're already committed to reconnecting habitats, reversing the decline in biodiversity, creating thriving ecosystems and increasing environmental resilience to a changing climate through our Environmental Sustainability Strategy.

Our 2050 vision is to provide a road network that supports the country’s transport needs but also protects and strengthens the natural environment and community wellbeing, with this MoU taking another step on that journey.

Through our Designated Funds programme in the second roads investment period (2020-25), we're investing £402.3m into environmental schemes, including those that maximise biodiversity and ensure conservation.

Our Executive Director of Major Projects Nicola Bell said: 

“Our work goes beyond just operating and maintaining our roads and by collaborating more closely with Natural England, we can ensure that our infrastructure projects deliver better outcomes for both people and nature.

“Together, we are setting a new standard for sustainable development that respects and enhances the natural world, helping to create a thriving, resilient environment for future generations."

Natural England Chief Executive Marian Spain added: 

“Projects like the A417 showcase the positive outcomes for people and nature that can be achieved by working closely together. This memorandum is an important step in embedding this open, early, constructive communications between Natural England and National Highways to deliver our shared objectives of sustainable development.”

The agreement will help us to:

• understand approaches and seek alignment on government policies across transport and the natural environment.
• promote and develop relevant natural environment initiatives that will improve environmental outcomes for species and habitats along and in proximity to the SRN.
• where relevant, jointly develop research and collaboration opportunities;
• develop collaborative and effective relationships at all levels (legal, technical, operational and strategic).
• where practicable engage with each other early on projects with a view to resolving and agreeing issues early in the planning process.
• develop protocols for managing issues of joint concern with a view to resolving issues in a timely and proportionate manner.
• share and input into the development and implementations of relevant plans, programmes of work and guidance with the aim of supporting improved environmental outcomes and efficient use of resources.

Find out more about our environmental work.