Expert analysis on LA duties

The Environment Act 2021 is the first major piece of new environmental legislation in England for a generation. It establishes a new framework for the protection and enhancement of the environment, and ambitious new goals. UKELA through its working parties and special interest groups has been monitoring the implementation of the Act and is keen to ensure that it is as successful as possible to meet the environmental challenges that we face.

While the Act provides for new targets binding on the Secretary of State and a statement of environmental principles for national policy, in its detailed operation it depends substantially on implementation by local authorities. It is therefore critical that local authorities understand the new duties and powers in the Act – and have the capacity to address them.

This half-day webinar focusses on three major areas of particular interest to local authorities in England: environmental governance, air quality and nature recovery. The aim is to provide an overview of the new legislative framework in each area and focus on legal challenges and practical application.

The webinar will be useful for local authority lawyers and officers working in areas affected by the Act (environmental health, planning, environmental protection, transport etc.), as well as legal practitioners working on local authority matters, and all who are interested in the operation of the Act.

 Programme:

1.15pm - Join the webinar
1:20pm – introduction

Session 1: ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE 1.30pm-2.30pm

Chair’s Introduction: Ned Westaway, Chair UKELA and barrister at Francis Taylor Building

Speakers:

Ruth Chambers, Greener UK - overview
Peter Ashford, General Counsel, the Office for Environmental Protection: investigations and enforcement
Speaker tbc: the duty to co-operate

Followed by discussion and questions

Session 2: AIR QUALITY 2.30pm-4pm

Chair’s introduction: Professor Eloise Scotford, Professor of Environmental Law, UCL

Speakers:

Nehal Depani, Deputy Head of the Air Quality and Industrial Emissions division, Defra - Air quality targets and local authority responsibility
Tom Parkes, Air Quality programme manager, Camden Council - LAQM reforms and air quality partners
speaker invited - Smoke control areas

Followed by discussion and questions

Break: 10 minutes

Session 3: NATURE RECOVERY 4.10pm-5.30pm

Chair’s introduction: Richard Barlow, Browne Jacobson and UKELA's Nature Conservation Working Party Chair

Speakers:

Speaker tbc: Overview of provisions and strengthened biodiversity duty
Rebecca Moberly, Principal Consultant, Planning Advisory Service: Biodiversity net gain
Paul Evans, Cumbria Local Nature Partnership: Local Nature Recovery Strategies

Followed by discussion and questions

5.30pm Close

Tickets

UKELA member - £10
Local authority member/employee - £10
Non-member - £15
Student/unwaged - free

As many of the intended audience are not currently members of UKELA, they are offering the opportunity to join as an Individual Member for Free by using this promotion code at checkout: LAOFFER22 which will enable them to purchase an event ticket at the discounted member rate as well as access the back library of members only resources and book other forthcoming events.

On 24 November, UKELA have Peter Kellett, Head of Legal and at the Environment Agency as he heads into retirement with his talk “Here Comes the Flood so where’s my Big Yellow Taxi? Tales for the frontline of environmental law” at the Garner Lecture, its a hybrid event so even if you can’t join us in London you can attend online.