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News and Information
News item 1
EU Agrees New Target to Halt Biodiversity Loss
On Monday 15 March the EU agreed a new target to halt biodiversity loss across Europe. The EU Environment Council minutes state that the Council is “SERIOUSLY CONCERNED that both the EU and the global biodiversity 2010 targets have not been met, that biodiversity loss continues at an unacceptable rate entailing very serious ecological, economic and social consequences".
News item 2
New Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations
On the 1st April 2010, the new Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2010 came into effect. These new Regulations replace The Conservation (Natural Habitats &c.) Regulations, 1994 and all the subsequent amendments with a new updated and consolidated set of Regulations.
News item 3
Important New Book Audits State of Wildlife in the UK
Silent Summer was published in May 2010 and reports trends in the populations of all the main vertebrate and invertebrate animals in the UK over the last 50 years. Its broad findings are that many species of wildlife have been in rapid decline.
News item 4
Natural England Issues New Guidance on Standards for Natural Greenspace
‘Nature Nearby’ Accessible Natural Greenspace Guidance is a new publication from Natural England. It contains proposed standards on the accessibility and quantity of greenspace and proposed service standards e.g. for country parks and nature reserves and quality standards e.g. related to the Green Flag awards.
News item 5
More Evidence for the Health Benefits of Natural Greenspace
Recent research findings both in the UK and Holland continue to highlight and reinforce the health benefits of regular contact with nature and the natural environment.
News item 6
More Green Investment Needed in the Future
Two new recent reports have highlighted the growing need for the protection and enhancement of multi-functional green infrastructure.
News item 7
International Year of Biodiversity 2010
The United Nations General Assembly has declared that 2010 will be the International Year of Biodiversity (IYB), and will help raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity all over the world.
News item 8
New Community Sports Foundation to be launched.......
March 2010 will saw the launch of the new Community Sports Foundation, a new registered charity established to help bring the benefits of sport into everyone’s lives.
News item 9
Green Infrastructure and Sport and Recreation Provision are Key to Improving ‘Quality of Place’ and ‘Quality of Life’,
In May 2009, the Government launched a new strategy, ’World Class Places – the Government’s strategy for improving quality of place."
News item 10
New Green Infrastructure Planning Guidance from Natural England
Earlier this year, Natural England published ‘Green Infrastructure Guidance’ to assist all those involved in planning, design and development to understand the important roles and functions of green infrastructure, and demonstrate good practice in planning and providing green infrastructure.
News item 11
Be Active, Be Healthy. The Government's New Plan for More Active Lifestyles
In February 2009, the Government published Be Active, Be Healthy: A Plan for Getting the Nation Moving. The plan seeks to increase the level of physical activity of all sectors of the population in England. It does so in recognition of the health costs of physical inactivity which are evidenced for example in the current obesity crisis.
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