Land, Ecology & Development

It has been all change at DEFRA since Boris Johnson became prime minister in July. Here’s what you need to know about the department’s new ministerial team

Sir David Attenborough has been announced as the ambassador of a Treasury review into the economic benefits of biodiversity and the costs and risks linked to its continued decline

High Speed Rail 2 (HS2) has been ordered to stop clearing ancient woodland, unless it is “absolutely necessary”, while a government commissioned review into the project’s future progresses

Environmental and engineering consultancy RSK has acquired contaminated land specialist Ecologia in what will be its third acquisition in recent months

Newly appointed junior environment minister Rebecca Pow will take on responsibility for climate adaptation, nature, water and waste, according to DEFRA

In a mini DEFRA reshuffle prompted by Amber Rudd’s resignation, Boris Johnson has appointed Rebecca Pow as a junior environment minister. Here’s what you need to know about the department’s newest recruit

The government has published a new tool to measure the value of habitat offsets, which consultants will need in order to demonstrate how biodiversity net gain can be achieved. James Agyepong-Parsons speaks to the experts in the field

All new development in England will soon be required to offset any natural habitat that is damaged or destroyed, and if it cannot deliver this onsite or locally, developers will need to pay into a government-run system. James Agyepong-Parsons speaks to the experts about how this will work in practice

A farmer, accused of “industrial-scale environmental destruction” after clearing six miles of dry stone wall to create a ‘prairie’, is under investigation for a suspected breach of environmental impact assessment regulations. James Fair examines their value

Planning permission for new houses in South Hampshire has all but ground to a halt following Natural England advice on the damaging impact of extra nitrates on protected sites. But councils are now proposing solutions. Simon Pickstone investigates