Category Archives: Habitats Directive

Rearranging the deck chairs on the Natural England Titanic.

Posted on August 24, 2018 by Miles King

Natural England chairs come and go, and today’s publication of the advert inviting applicants to be the next chair, gives me an opportunity to look, once again, at the absolute state of Natural England. Some may feel all I do … Continue reading →

Posted in Andrew Sells, badgers, countryside alliance, Europe, Habitats Directive, Natural England, SSSis, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

George Eustice clueless on impacts of Brexit on laws protecting UK wildlife

Posted on May 30, 2016 by Miles King

Farm Minister, former UKIP parliamentary candidate and Brexiter (Brexiteer? Brexetier?) George Eustice today displayed a continuing failure to have absorbed anything useful during his now considerable time at the Department allegedly for the Environment, Defra. Speaking to the Guardian he … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds Directive, Brexit, EU referendum, George Eustice, Habitats Directive | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

My tuppence worth on the EU Referendum – and a poll

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Miles King

The big news for the Environment in 2016 is that, as a result of the divisions within the political right in England, we are being forced to vote on whether we want to stay in the European Union in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds Directive, Boris Johnson, Common Agricultural Policy, corporate lobbying, Europe, European environment policy, George Eustice, Habitats Directive, Nature Directives, NFU, public goods | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Guest Blog from Ian Hepburn. Defending Nature: the UK battle is far from over

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Miles King

With a conference to review the effectiveness of the EU Nature Directives (Birds and Habitats) – the Fitness Check process, taking place in Brussels tomorrow, I’m thrilled to publish a timely guest blog from Ian Hepburn. Ian has had a … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds Directive, David Cameron, European Commission, European environment policy, Habitats Directive | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The State of Europe’s Nature

Posted on May 22, 2015 by Miles King

  Today is International Biodiversity Day. Instead of being out and about enjoying biodiversity (or nature as I prefer to call it), I’m sitting at my computer writing this. Does that make any sense? How is biodiversity nature doing in … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds Directive, Common Agricultural Policy, European Commission, European environment policy, Habitats Directive, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Mark Reckless MP: destroying Lodge Hill will undermine national SSSI protection across the country

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Miles King

Part of Lodge Hill’s military past: a fictitious Newry Road with Iraqi posters (c) Miles King   Rochester and Strood MP Mark Reckless is nobody’s fool. You may remember that earlier this year I wrote about his tirade against coastal … Continue reading →

Posted in biodiversity, grasslands, Habitats Directive, housing, Lodge Hill, Mark Reckless, SSSis | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The EU: environmental good or ill?

Posted on May 24, 2014 by Miles King

The next political tremor tomorrow when the Euro elections results are announced, no doubt will be reported by Nick Robinson on the BBC as a Magnititude 10 super quake. Has Farage got hold of polaroids of Nick as a student … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, bureaucracy, Common Agricultural Policy, corporate lobbying, European environment policy, Habitats Directive, NFU, SSSis, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments