Legal safeguards aim to commit landowners to protecting nature
NEW LEGAL safeguards which commit landowners to take action to preserve and protect nature or heritage could be introduced under Government plans.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has launched a consultation on how to introduce “conservation covenants”, which officials say are successfully used in other countries, as part of the Government’s 25-year environment plan.
The covenants are voluntary but legally binding, enabling landowners to leave a permanent conservation legacy on their land to which future owners would have to adhere. Legal covenants already exist to prevent certain actions but the conservation covenants could encourage positive environmental actions or protection of heritage, the Environment Department (Defra) said.
For example, a landowner of
moorland with a crag used by climbers could use a conservation covenant to ensure family who inherit it continue to manage the land properly and grant access to the public for climbing.
A conservation covenant could also be used to protect archaeological remains on land, or preserve a historic building that has been bought by a heritage group and restored before being sold.
Wildlife charities could use the covenants as an alternative to buying habitat land, instead setting out payments and obligations for a landowner.
The conservation covenants could also be used to provide agreement between public bodies and landowners on payments to protect natural services on land, such as conserving woodland which helps prevent flooding.
They could even be used by local authorities to help ensure developers create and maintain new habitat to make up for areas lost to development such as housing. Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “Conservation covenants are a valuable new tool to help protect our precious countryside.”