Environmental watchdog to increase scrutiny of compliance by public bodies

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) plans to step up its scrutiny of how well public bodies conform with laws on the environment.

A new corporate plan issued by the regulator said: “We aim that government and other public authorities abide by environmental law so it can protect people and protect and improve the environment as intended.

“We expect government and other public authorities to comply with their obligations under environmental law so that the outcomes those laws intend can be achieved.”

The OEP said it expected to increase scrutiny of compliance where necessary, through investigation and enforcement action.

It said its work “will be informed by and responsive to information we receive that public authorities may have failed to comply with environmental law”.

Although the OEP’s resources are expected to fall from £10.71 m this year to £7.70m in 2026-27 - mainly because decisions are awaited on revenue from Northern Ireland and on capital spending - it will devote nearly half to legal matters.

Plans include spending 26% of resources on ‘improved compliance with environmental law’ and 20% on ‘better environmental law, better implemented’.

Chair Dame Glenys Stacey said: “Deeply concerning adverse environmental trends continue. The depleted state of the natural environment and scale and rate of climate change present an unprecedented challenge.  

“This challenge must be acknowledged and grasped if ambitions to significantly improve the environment for future generations – so laudably crystallised in law in the Environment Act of 2021 – are to be realised.”

The OEP said it would complete work on how laws supporting the quality of inland waters are complied with, and evaluate how well the framework of environmental governance established under the Environment Act is being implemented.

Mark Smulian